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THE    L I F  E/C^***^'^^"''''^ 

f      JUN  12  1951 


OF 


ARCHIBALD  ALEXANDER,  1).  D,  LL  D. 


FIRST    PROFESSOR    IN    THE    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY, 
AT    PRINCPJTON,  NEW   JERSEY. 


BY 


JAMES   W.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN     BOARD    OF    PUBLICATION, 

821  ClIESNUT  STREET. 
1857. 


Entfrei),  acoorJing  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  by 
JAMES   W.  ALEXANDER, 
in  tlie  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  foi   the 
Southern  District  of  New-York.  .  • 


John  F.  Trow, 
Printer,  Stereotyper,  and  ElectrotJ^1e7 
377  &  379  Broad  w«y, 
Cor.  Vrhilp  Street,  Ntw  Yorlu 


PREFACE. 

HTiHE  reasons  for  this  condensed  edition  are  suffi- 
ciently obvious.  Many  persons  who  would  gladly 
have  perused  the  larger  memoir,  found  it  beyond 
their  reach.  It  will  be  seen,  on  collation,  that  the 
abridgment  has  been  slight,  and  that  the  narrative  is 
scarcely  touched.  Especially  is  the  autobiographical 
part  given  entire. 

In  this  place  I  may  be  allowed  to  repeat,  that 
the  work  was  one  from  which  I  would  gladly  have 
shrunk  ;  but  it  was  laid  upon  me  by  the  highest  hu- 
man authority  I  ever  knew  ;  as  he  who  is  the  subject 
of  the  narrative  expressed  on  his  death-bed  the  desire, 
that  whatsoever  should  appear  in  the  way  of  public 
memorial  might  proceed  from  two  of  his  sons  whom 
he  named  for  this  purpose.  For  reasons  not  interest- 
ing to  the  general  reader,  the  task  has  devolved  solely 
on  me.     I  girded  myself  for  it  under  all  the  disad- 


IV  PREFACE. 

vantages  of  a  conviction  long  since  formed,  that  in 
many  respects  a  son  is  not  the  proper  biographer  of  a 
father.  Though  his  knowledge  of  facts  and  charac- 
ter may  be  supposed  to  be  intimate,  he  is  in  danger 
either  of  writing  a  panegyric,  or  of  falling  below  the 
truth  in  attempting  to  avoid  it.  In  almost  every 
page  I  confess  myself  to  have  been  haunted  by  the 
apprehension  of  overstating,  overcolouring,  and  giv- 
ing undue  importance  to  domestic  traits.  If  this  evil 
has  been  incurred,  it  has  not  been  from  wilful  sup- 
pression of  truth,  but  from  the  warping  influence  of  a 
loving  veneration.  It  would  have  been  as  natural  as 
it  was  consonant  to  my  feelings,  to  speak  of  my  dear 
and  honoured  father  under  that  tender  appellation ; 
but  the  wish  to  avoid  obtruding  my  own  person  every 
where  as  thus  connected,  has  led  me  to  name  him  as 
he  was  known  by  others. 

One  of  the  difficulties  of  the  performance  ought  to 
be  clearly  stated.  The  two  ordinary  and  most  copious 
sources  of  a  religious  biography,  are  a  private  diary 
and  epistolary  correspondence.  As  it  regards  the 
former,  my  father,  after  his  years  of  boyhood,  kept  no 
personal  journal.  His  letters,  it  is  true,  were  numer- 
ous ;  but  they  were  to  a  remarkable  extent  bare  let- 


PREFACE.  ^ 

ters  of  business.     Of  hundreds  now  in  my  hands,  the 
greater  part  contain  no  passage  which  admits  of  being 
extracted,  and  most  of  the  remainder  furnish  only 
scattered  sentences.     My  hearty  thanks  are  due  to 
those  pupils  and  other  friends  of  my  father,  who  have 
sent  me  letters  received  from  him ;  the  number  of 
such  favours  has  prevented  distinct  and  private  ac- 
knowledgment.    Some  of  these  arrived  too  late  to  be 
inserted  in  the  text.     In  the  absence  of  the  materials 
just  named,  I  have  had  to  rely  upon  two  classes  of 
authorities.     In  the  first  place,  my  father,  after  the 
middle  of  his  life,  threw  upon  paper  large  reminis- 
cences of  his  own  career,  and  the  history  of  his  early 
friends  and  acquaintances.     Greater  use  would  have 
been  made  of  these  manuscripts,  if  he  had  not  ex- 
pressly forbidden  them  to  be  made  public  in  their 
original  form.     I  have  gone  to  the  utmost  limit  of  his 
supposed  permission,  in  these  autobiographical  ex- 
tracts.    Unfortunately,  they  do  not  extend  at  all  into 
the  second  and  more  conspicuous  half  of  his  life.     The 
other  source  has  therefore  been  the  chief  reliance,  as 
to  this  period;  namely,  my  own  personal  recollec- 
tions, aided  and  corrected  by  those  of  his  family  and 
friends. 


n  PREFACE. 

In  those  parts  which  are  made  up  from  his  manu- 
script records,  I  have  once  or  twice  allowed  myself, 
rather  than  mutilate  his  account,  to  repeat  the  same 
events  and  opinions,  as  expressed  by  him  in  different 
connections.  In  some  few  instances,  I  have  been  con- 
strained to  return  to  topics  already  treated  and  appa- 
rently dismissed,  thus  disturbing  the  arrangement ; 
because  new  matter  on  these  points  came  in  while  the 
book  was  going  through  the  press.  The  excellent 
steel  engraving  which  accompanies  these  pages  is 
from  the  best  representations  which  art  has  been  able 
to  produce.  But  it  ought  to  be  added,  that  no  like- 
ness has  been  other  than  a  failure,  in  respect  to  the 
animation  of  his  features  and  the  liquid  brilliancy  of 
his  eye. 

It  is  my  humble  prayer,  that  this  memorial  of  one 
who  devoted  his  best  powers,  for  a  long  period,  to 
the  service  of  truth,  of  the  Church,  and  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  may  be  made  conducive  to  the  interests  of 
religion. 

Nbw  York,  October^  1855, 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    FIRST. 

1112— ms. 

Descent— The  Valley— Scotch-Irish— The  Grandfather— The  Father— Na- 
tivity— Boyhood — Schools — War — Jack  Reardon  and  Lyon — William 
Graham  —  Priestly — Early  Oratory — Influence  of  Scenery — Natural 
Bridge 1-31 


CHAPTER   SECOND. 

1Y89. 

Tutorship — ^Leaving  Home — Wilderness — Religious  State — Mrs.  Tyler — Bap- 
tist Preaching — Pious  Millwright — Skepticism — Jenyns — Convictions — 
Flavel — Early  Joy — Progress  of  Awakening 32-47 

CHAPTER    THIRD.  • 

1789,  1790. 

Home — Visit  to  Revival  in  Southern  Virginia — Samuel  Morris — Smith- 
Graham — Lacy — Mrs.  LeGrand — Sacrament — Doubts  and  Fears — De- 
parture of  Hope — Renewed  Peace — Return 48-66 

CHAPTER    FOURTH. 
1789,  1790. 

Revival  in  Rockbridge — Self-Examination — Relapse  into  Doubt — Sudden 
Joy — Covenant — ^First  Communion — Discussion  of  Doctrines — Prince- 
ton College — Dangerous  Illness — ^The  Springs — Mountains — Mr.  Le- 
Grand         •        66-81 


VUl  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    FIFTH. 

1790,  1791. 

Preparations  for  the  Ministry — Presbytery — First  Public  Address — Extern 
poraiieous  Efforts — Mission  of  Mr.  Graham — German  Convert — Young 
Ruling-older — Visit  to  Philadelphia — Assembly  of  1791 — Great  Men  of 
the  Churcli — Nisbet — Witherspoon — The  Smiths — Homeward  Journey — 
Sleeping  Preacher — Home 81-104 

CHAPTER    SIXTH. 

1791. 

Theological  Studies — Graham's  Class — Books — Presbyterial  Trial;* — First  Ser 
mon — Licensure — Entrance  on  Ministry — Early  Sermons — Early  Man- 
ner— A  Converted  Famil}^ — Convert  of  Whitefield — Compensation — Mr. 
Hoge — End  of  Tour — ^Staunton — Preaching  at  Home — Mission  Work — Am 
herst — Prince  Edward — Samuel  Venable 104-130 


CHAPTER    SEVENTH. 
1792. 

Missionary  Tour — Lunenburg — Tlie  Lay-preacher — James  Hunt — William 
Cowan — Bishop  Madison — Petersburg — Search  for  Pulpit — Mr.  Jarratt— 
Nottoway — Mecklenburg — Mr.  Patillo — Religious  Friends.       .      ISO-loo 


CHAPTER    EIGHTH. 
1792—1797. 

Prince  Edward  and  Charlotte — Early  Presbyterian  Labourers — Robinson  — 
Henry — Austin — Baptist  Council — Smith's  River — Mountain  Nook — An- 
ecdotes— Tavern  Prayers — Close  of  Mission — vSettlemeut — Ordination — 
Mrs.  LeGrand — Pastoral  Cares — Study  of  Sermons — Manner — Samuel 
Brown — Houston  the  Shaker — Studies — The  Aliens — The  Mortons — Elo 
quence  of  Patrick  Henry  and  John  Randolph — Hampden  Sidney — John 
H.  Rice — Conrad  Speece — Thanksgiving  Sermon — Difficulties  with  regard 
to  Baptism. 156-208 

CHAPTER  NINTH. 
1801. 
Resignation  of  Presidentship — Journey  to  the  North — Dr.  Waddel — Amos 
Thompson — ^Adam  Freeman  the  Fanatic — Philadelphia — Princeton — New- 


CONTENTS.  ix 

York — Connecticut — ^Danbury — Litchfield — Association —  Hartford —Dr. 
Strong — ^Newport — ^Dr.  Patton — Dr.  Hopkins — Dr.  Emmons.  209-233 

CHAPTER  TENTH. 

1801. 

Boston — Harvard — Dr.  Dana — Exeter — ^Father  of  Webster — Graduation  of 
Daniel  Webster — Revival  at  Shelburne — Commencement  at  Princeton — 
Call  to  Baltimore — Return.  233-254 

CHAPTER  ELEVENTH. 

1802—1806. 

Prince  Edward — ^Marriage — ^Labours  in  Virginia — Call  to  the  North — Criti- 
cal Juncture — Removal — Journey  to  Philadelphia — Slavery — Daphne — 
City  Life — City  Clergy — ^Third  Church — Religious  Novel — Cares  and  En- 
couragements— City  Destitution — Evangelical  Society — Plan  of  City  Mis- 
sion— Tracts — Call  to  Georgia — Sermon  on  Richmond  Theatre.       255-295 

CHAPTER  TWELFTH. 

1811,  1812. 

Project  of  Theological  Seminary — Dr.  Green's  Overture— Dr.  Green's  Plan — 
Dr.  Miller's  Narrative — Origin  of  Seminary — ^Three  Plans — Election  as 
Professor — Pastoral  Farewell — Inaugurations — Dr.  Miller's  Discourse — 
Antecedent  fitness  for  the  post — Biblical  and  Theological  Studies — Settle- 
ment at  Princeton— Personal  Traits 296-324 


CHAPTER  THIRTEENTH. 

1812. 

Princeton— Opening  of  School— Arduous  Studies— Languages— Theology- 
Methods — Scheme  of  Instruction — Polemic  Theology — Continued  Preach- 
ing— Manner  of  Life — Accession  of  Dr.  Miller — Relation  of  the  two  Col- 
leagues. ..........         325-347 

CHAPTER  FOURTEENTH. 

1813— 1817. 
First  years  as  Professor- -Health— Private  Toils— Increasing  Classes— Funds- 
Library— Sermons— Revival   in   College— Spiritual   Counsels— Modes   of 


CONTENTS. 

Influence — Visit  and  Death  of  Dr.  Hoge — Invitation  to  Virginia— Domes* 
tic  Habits — Love  of  Teaching — Home  Lessons — Graphic  Preaching — ^The 
Paschal  Lamb— Sacramental  Address.  .         ,        .         .         348-376 


CHAPTER  FIFTEENTH. 

1819—1829. 

public  Labours — Church  Courts — Progress  of  Seminary — Colleagues — Habits 
of  the  Study — The  Conference — Written  Sermons — Church  Troubles — 
New  Divinity — New  Measures — Mode  of  Treating  Controversies — Late 
Commencement  of  Authorship — Work  on  the  Evidences — Review  of  Dr. 
Murdock — Biblical  Repertory — Review  of  Brown — Dr.  Finley  and  Colo- 
nization— Visit  to  Virginia — Correspondence — Introductory  Lectures — 
Maxims. '      .         37Y-404 


CHAPTER  SIXTEENTH. 

1830—1839. 

Difliculties  in  the  Church — Sources  of  Strife — Old  and  New  School — View  of 
the  Diflferences — Evils  of  Division — Division  of  Church — State  of  Seminary 
— Literary  Activity — Writings — Prospect  of  Decline — Views  of  Death — 
Correspondence — Preaching  to  Slaves — Foreign  Missions — Early  Conver- 
sions— Topographical  Faculty. 405-444 

CHAPTER  SEVENTEENTH. 

1840—1851. 

Last  Period — Declining  Years — Correspondence — Views  of  Death  and  Eter- 
nity— Dr.  John  Breckinridge — Visit  to  Virginia — Address  at  Lexington — 
Death  of  Friends — Activity  in  Old  Age — Connection  with  Public  Bodies — 
Writings  of  Old  Age — Reviews — Visit  of  Mrs.  Duncan — Death  of  Dr. 
Wilier — His  character — Harmony  of  Professors — Dr.  Miller's  Testimony — 
Last  Synod — Last  Sermon  Abroad — Last  Address  to  Children — Persistent 
Labour — Resolution — Employments — Happy  Old  Age.       .         .     445-492 

CHAPTER  EIGHTEENTR 

1851. 

The  last  Scenes — Access  of  Disease — ^Interview  with  Dr.  Hodge — Increased 
Illness — Interview  with  his  Son — Second  conversation  with  Dr.  Hodge — 
Conversation   with  Mr.   Schenck — ^Perfect  Peace — Revival  of  Youthful 


CONTENTS. 


Zl 


Impressions— Dying  Experience— Tranquil  Joy— The  last  Sabbath— Last 
Moments — Kemarkable  Answer  to  Prayer.     ....        493-514 


CHAPTER  NINETEENTH. 

1851. 

Funeral  Services  and  other  Testimonials— The  Procession— Dr.  McDowell's 
Sermon— Cemetery— Dr.  Magic's  Address— Notice  of  Mrs.  Alexander- 
Major  Alexander.  .        . 515-532 

CHAPTER  TWENTIETH. 

General  Summary — Personal  Appearance — Health — Manners — Retiring  Dis- 
position— Social  Traits — Benignity — Natural  Endowments — Habits  of 
Thought — Diligence — Extent  of  Learning — Colloquial  Powers — Preaching 
— Testimony  of  Professor  Henry — Personal  Piety — Conclusion.       633-563 


THE  LIFE 


OF 


ARCHIBALD   ALEXANDER,  D.D. 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 
1772—1788. 

DESCENT — THE  GREAT  VALLEY — OLD  ARCHIBALD  ALEXANDER — PAREN 
TAQE NATIVE  PLACE EARLY  SCHOOLS — THE  WAR — WILLIAM  GRA- 
HAM— PRIESTLY — CLASSICAL  TRAINING. 

ABOUT  the  year  1736,  as  nearly  as  can  now  be  discovered, 
three  brothers  named  Alexander  emigrated  to  Ame- 
rica. Though  they  came  from  Ireland,  they  were  of  the 
Scottish  race,  and  their  father,  Thomas  Alexander,  had 
removed  from  Scotland  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Londonderry. 
One  of  these  brothers,  Archibald  Alexander,  settled  first  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  his  son  Wilham  was  born  upon  the 
river  Schuylkill.  The  three  brothers  were  well  educated, 
and  one  of  them,  Robert,  was  a  teacher  of  mathematics. 
After  a  residence  of  more  than  two  years  in  Pennsylvania. 
Archibald  Alexander  removed  to  New  Virginia,  as  the  coun- 
try was  then  called  ;  his  son  William,  being  at  the  time 
1 


2  REVIVAL THK    VALLEY. 

about  nine  years  of  age.  He  was  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  that  particular  region. 

"  While  he  resided  in  Pennsylvania,"  says  the  personal 
narrative  to  which  we  are  to  be  indebted  for  most  of  our 
facts,  "  the  Great  Kevival  which  spread  its  benign  influence 
over  so  large  a  portion  of  America,  extended  to  the  congre- 
gation in  which  he  lived,  and  he  became  a  subject  of  the 
good  work,  under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Kowland.  This  fact 
I  learned  from  old  Dr.  Robert  Smith  of  Pequea,  who  knew 
him  well,  and  told  me  in  1791,  when  I  was  at  his  house, 
that  he  had  often  met  with  my  grandfather  during  that 
period,  following  Mr.  Rowland  far  and  near." 

No  better  notion  of  the  locality  here  principally  con- 
cerned can  be  obtain-^d,  than  from  some  paragraphs  left  by 
the  subject  of  this  narrative.  ^^  The  Great  Valley  of  Vir- 
ginia, or  as  it  is  commonly  called  in  the  State,  the  Valley,  is 
situated  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  North  Mountain  ; 
and  its  general  direction  is  the  same,  from  northeast  to 
southwest.  It  is  a  continuation  of  the  same  valley  which, 
commencing  on  the  Delaware  at  Easton,  passes  entirely 
through  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  including  Bethlehem, 
Reading,  Harrisburg,  Carlisle,  Shippensburg,  Chambersburg, 
and  many  other  flourishing  towns  and  villages,  and  extends 
through  Maryland  to  the  Potomac.  On  the  south  side  of 
this  river  the  Valley  of  Virginia  commences,  and  runs  nearly 
through  the  State,  embracing  in  its  whole  extent,  from  the 
Delaware  to  the  New  or  Kanhawa  River,  as  rich,  as  varie- 
gated, and  as  well  watered  a  region,  as  can  be  found  in  the 
United  States.     The  width  of  this  valley,  from  mountain  to 


VALLEY    OF    VIKGINIA.  3 

mountain,  varies  from  ten  to  thirty  miles  ;  fifteen  miles  may 
be  considered  the  mean  breadth.  There  is  also  a  great  dif- 
ference in  the  surface  ;  in  some  parts  the  land  is  flat,  but 
rises  in  others  into  high  hills,  which  every  where  in  their  un- 
cultivated state  are  covered  with  forests  of  timber,  which  is 
often  very  large.  It  is,  throughout,  a  hmestone  country  ;  and 
in  some  places  the  rocks  almost  cover  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  Within  these  rocks  are  many  caverns,  in  some  of 
which  the  waters  collect  in  such  quantities,  that  in  many 
places,  springs  burst  forth  with  a  stream  sufficient  to  turn  a 
large  waterwheel.  The  ledges  of  limestone  running  above 
the  surface,  and  generally  inclined  at  a  considerable  angle  to 
the  horizon,  cause  the  roads,  to  be  rough  and  very  unpleasant 
for  wheels.  Through  the  whole  extent  of  this  valley,  wheat 
and  other  kinds  of  corn  are  cultivated  with  great  success. 
Perhaps  for  the  extent  of  it,  it  is  the  best  wheat  land  in 
America.  It  is  an  excellent  farming  country,  with  a  deep 
stiff  clay  soil,  susceptible  when  exhausted  of  great  improve- 
ment from  the  gypsum  and  the  lime  obtained  from  the  rocks. 
"  Although  the  region  under  consideration  is  now  the  cen- 
tral part  of  Virginia,  it  generally  received  its  inhabitants 
from  a  source  very  different  from  that  of  the  remaining  por- 
tions ;  for  while  the  latter  are  from  a, pure  English  stock,  the 
former  are  Scotch-Irish  and  German  in  their  origin.  The 
people  called  the  Scotch-Irish  are  all  Presbyterians,  and 
descending  from  the  Scotch,  have  nevertheless  for  several 
generations  resided  in  the  north  of  Ireland.  They  are  a  peo- 
ple of  marked  traits,  differing  entirely  from  the  native  Irish, 
and  from  the  descendants  of  the  English  in  Ireland.     They 


4  SCOTCH-IRISH THE    SCHISM 

have  also  acquired  characteristics  which  distinguish  them 
from  the  Scotch.  These  people  settled  in  Ireland  at  differ- 
ent periods  ;  but  most  of  them  went  over  in  the  times  of 
persecution  under  the  Stuarts.  When  Pennsylvania  was 
laid  open  for  settlement,  and  freedom  of  religion  was  promised 
to  all  denominations  by  WilHam  Penn,  many  emigrated  to 
that  colony,  and  settled  in  the  southern  and  eastern  counties, 
and  in  the  three  counties  which  have  since  composed  the 
State  of  Delaware.  As  the  settlements  extended,  they 
spread  themselves  westward,  and  were  generally  among  the 
foremost  to  occupy  new  lands.  Many  of  them  therefore 
entered  the  Great  Valley  before  described,  about  Harrisburg 
and  Carlisle,  also  towards  the  Potomac,  and  beyond  it  into 
Virginia.  The  time  of  the  earliest  emigration  from  Ireland 
was  probably  from  1720  to  1740.  About  the  last  mentioned 
date,  some  persons  had  penetrated  so  far  along  the  valley  as 
to  reach  the  waters  of  the  great  Powhatan,  commonly  called 
the  James  Kiver.  This  part  of  the  valley,  though  uneven 
and  in  many  places  rocky,  was  found  to  be  exceedingly  fer- 
tile, and  the  ^  coves '  and  gaps  in  the  mountains  furnished 
good  gi'azing  for  cattle.  So  favourable  a  report  was  brought 
back  by  the  explorers,  that  many  families  in  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania determined  to  remove  to  New  Virginia,  as  that 
region  was  then  called. 

"  Between  1740  and  1750  a  great  emigration  took  place  ; 
and  as  an  unhappy  schism  then  existed  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  dividing  it  into  the  Old  Side  and  Mew  Side,  as  the 
parts  were  called,  the  people  of  these  parties  settled,  not 
promiscuously,   but  in  separate  groups,   which  became  the 


EARLY    MINISTERS.  5 

germs  of  new  congregations;  for  when  a  settlement  was 
once  made,  it  was  rapidly  increased  every  year  by  emigrants, 
not  only  from  Pennsylvania  but  directly  from  Ireland.  The 
emigrants  from  congregations  of  the  Old  Side  planted  them- 
selves in  compact  bodies  in  that  part  of  the  Yalley  east  and 
south  of  Staunton,  and  even  extended  themselves  over  the 
Blue  Ridge  at  Rockfish  Gap,  immediately  below  which  they 
found  some  rich  and  beautiful  land  on  Rockfish  River.  In 
a  very  few  years  there  were  three  ministers  of  the  gospel  sta- 
tioned among  them.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Craig  took  charge  of  the 
Augusta  Church,  and  that  of  Tinkling  Spring  ;  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Miller,  of  Mossy  Creek  and  Harrisonburg  ;  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Black,  of  Rockfish,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge. 
That  part  of  the  valley  which  lies  southwest  of  Staunton,  as 
far  as  the  Forks  of  James  River,  was  settled  princij)ally  by 
adherents  of  the  New  Side.  The  congregations  of  Hebron, 
Bethel,  New  Providence,  Timber  Ridge,  and  the  Forks, 
with  some  mixture  of  the  others,  were  chiefly  of  the  New 
Side.  The  first  minister  who  settled  in  this  part  of  the 
Valley,  was  the  Rev.  John  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Ireland, 
but  received  his  education,  at  least  the  finishing  part  of  it, 
in  this  country  ;  for  he  was  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  New 
Jersey.  When  licensed  he  visited  New  Virginia,  and  re- 
ceived a  call  from  New  Providence  and  Timber  Ridge,  which 
then  formed  but  one  congregation.  The  next  preacher  of 
this  party  was,  I  think,  Mr.  Cummins,  who  preached  at  the 
North  Mountain  (Hebron)  and  Bethel.  In  the  Forks,  that 
is  the  region  about  Lexington  and  further  on  towards  the 
James  River,  there  was  no  settled  pastor  before  Mr.  Gra- 


6  OLD    ARCHIBALD    ALEXANDER. 

ham/'  ■*  And  here  we  resume  the  personal  narrative : 
"  The  congregation  to  which  my  grandfather  belonged  must 
have  been  Norriton,  in  the  vicinity  of  Norristown,  which  did 
not  then  exist.  It  was  divided  into  two,  and  the  friends  ol 
the  revival  built  a  new  house  of  worship,  which  they  called 
Providence.  From  this  many  families  emigrated  to  New 
Virginia,  settled  together,  and  built  a  meeting-house,  which 
they  called  New  Providence.  As  the  congregation  was  ex- 
tensive, they  built  another  on  Timber  Eidge,  ten  or  twelve 
miles  further  along  the  valley.  My  grandfatlier's  residence 
was  within  the  bounds  of  the  latter  ;  my  father's  farm  was 
adjoining. 

"  I  have  often  wondered  why  he  chose  a  residence  in  a 
part  of  the  valley  so  hilly  and  precipitous,  when  the  whole 
country  was  before  him,  and  when  land  could  be  had  for  a 
mere  trifle.  But  I  have  understood  that  the  selection  was 
judiciously  made,  on  account  of  the  fine  pasturage  in  the 
mountains,  made  accessible  to  cattle  by  the  gap  of  Irish 
Creek." 

Archibald  Alexander  was  a  man  of  some  remarkable 
points.  At  the  solicitation  of  others,  and  for  the  sake  of  his 
children,  he  gave  lessons  to  such  of  the  neighbouring  youth 
as  would  resort  to  him  at  night.  "  The  appearance  of  my 
grandfather,"  the  narrative  continues,  "I  remember  very 
well.  He  was  rather  below  the  common  height,  but  was 
thick-set,  broad-breasted  and  strongly  built.  His  flice  was 
!)r;)ad,  and  his  eyes  large,  black,  and  prominent.  The  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance  was  caLii  and  benignant,  and  his 

*  MS.  Life  of  the  Fev.  William  Grahani. 


WILLIAM    ALEXANDER.  7 

manner  of  speaking  was  very  kind  and  affectionate.  He 
raised  a  company  of  men,  called  Kangers  ;  and  as  their  cap- 
tain performed  a  tour  of  duty  on  the  Great  Kanhawa  and  the 
Ohio.  For  this  service  he  received,  in  connection  with  other 
officers,  a  right  to  locate  several  thousand  acres  of  land  in 
Kentucky.  Perhaps  no  man  ever  left  behind  him  a  higher 
character  for  uprightness  and  benignity,  than  old  Ersbell 
Alexander,  as  he  was  called  by  the  Scotch  people.  I  have 
heard  him  spoken  of  by  men  of  all  classes,  without  any  va- 
riation in  their  testimony  to  his  worth.  A  large  part  of 
Kockbridge  County  was  included  in  a  grant  made  by  the 
King  to  a  certain  Mr.  Burden,  and  was  called,  within  my 
memory.  Burden's  Tract.  When  Burden  died,  he  left  my 
grandfather  sole  executor  of  his  will,  with  authority  to  sign 
numerous  deeds  for  land  already  sold.  This  high  trust  he 
executed  with  fidelity  ;  and  although  he  had  such  opportu- 
nities of  appropriating  to  his  own  use  any  quantity  of  good 
land,  he  never  seemed  to  have  the  least  desire  to  become 
wealthy.  When  he  first  came  to  the  country,  he  only  took 
up  as  much  land  as  would  make  moderate  firms  for  himself 
and  his  two  sons  ;  and  to  each  of  these,  when  grown,  he 
gave  portions.  They,  however,  surveyed  tracts  on  Irish 
Creek,  which  at  this  day  are  among  the  most  valuable  lands 
in  the  neighbourhood.'' 

William  Alexander,  son  of  the  preceding,  enjoyed  fewer 
opportunities  of  education  ;  yet,  being  of  an  active  mind,  and 
having  more  access  to  books  than  his  companions,  he  ac- 
quired a  considerable  fund  of  knowledge.  It  is  indicative  of 
the  domestic  habits  of  the  day,   that  he  knew  the  whole 


8  .NATIMTY. 

Larger  Catechism,  and  remembered  almost  all  VVatts'a 
I^salms  and  Hymns.  He  united  the  pursuit  of  nu  ^chandise 
to  that  of  agriculture,  but  suffered  greatly  by  the  deprecia- 
tion of  the  continental  currency.  He  was  an  elder  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  but  did  not  attain  to  the  Christian  emi- 
nence of  his  father.  William  Alexander  married  Ann  Keid, 
the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  landholder,  of  the  same  Presbyte- 
rian colony.  She  was  a  retiring  and  humble,  but  affection- 
ately pious  woman.  The  latter  years  of  her  life  were  made 
sad  by  a  total  loss  of  sight. 

Archibald  Alexander,  the  subject  of  this  narrative,  and 
the  son  of  William  and  Ann  above  mentioned,  was  born  on 
the  seventeenth  day  of  April,  1772. 

"  The  house  in  which  I  was  born,"  says  his  own  account, 
"  was  built  of  square  logs,  as  were  most  of  the  houses  at  that 
time.  The  place  is  rough,  and  is  near  a  little  mountain 
stream,  called  the  South  Kiver,  which,  after  joining  the 
North  River,  falls  into  the  James  River,  just  above  its  en- 
trance into  the  mountains.  Nearly  opposite  to  the  place, 
Irish  Creek,  a  bold  stream  from  a  gorge  of  the  mountain, 
falls  into  the  South  River.  This  my  birthplace  was  at  that 
time  in  Augusta  County,  which  was  unlimited  to  the  west  ; 
it  is  now  in  Rockbridge  County,  and  is  about  seven  miles 
from  Lexington,  in  an  eastern  direction. 

"  I  was  the  third  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are  still 
living  (July  26,  1839).  My  brother  Andrew  was  the  oldest. 
The  next  in  order  was  my  sister,  Margaret  Graham.  The 
others,  in  the  order  of  nativity,  are  Sarah,  John,  Nancy 
(who  died  in  childhood),  Phebe,  Elizabeth,  Nancy,  and 
Martha. 


REMOVAL — FAMILY.  Q 

"  My  Either,  having  in  the  year  1775  removed  from  his 
place  on  the  South  River  to  the  Forks,  that  is,  to  the  south 
^of  the  North  River,  just  this  side  of  the  site  of  Lexington, 
began  to  carry  on  his  mercantile  business  there.  Indeed  to 
get  into  a  more  public  and  convenient  situation,  was,  I  sup- 
pose, his  only  motive  for  this  change.  He  purchased  the 
house  now  owned  by  my  oldest  brother.  As  the  buildino-s 
were  poor,  and  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  farm  for  his  purpose, 
he  erected  a  house  and  a  store  near  to  the  present  site  of 
Jordan's  Mills.  By  this  removal  he  went  out  of  Augusta 
into  Bottetourt  County ;  for  the  North  River  was  the  di- 
viding line.  But  soon  after  this  a  new  county  was  taken 
from  the  two,  and  called  Rockbridge,  from  the  Natural 
Bridge,  which  was  within  its  limits.  Lexington  was  fixed 
on  for  the  seat  of  justice  ;  and  a  town  was  laid  off,  which 
took  its  name  from  the  place  of  the  first  battle  and  first 
bloodshed  of  the  Revolution.  But  the  war  came  on,  and  all 
mercantile  business  was  necessarily  suspended  ;  and  my  fa- 
ther now  acted  as  deputy-sheriff  to  his  father,  in  the  new 
county." 

A  lively  affection  appears  to  have  subsisted  between  the 
brothers  and  sisters  of  the  family.  Of  his  brother,  the  late 
Andrew  Alexander,  a  Christian  of  high  respectability  and 
strong  points  of  character,  he  thus  writes  :  "  My  brother  was 
four  years  older  than  myself,  and  perhaps  two  brothers  were 
never  more  unlike.  From  his  early  childhood  he  was  sober 
and  careful,  fond  of  work,  and  always  contriving  something. 
I  have  heard  my  mother  say,  that  while  the  family  sojourned 
at  Irish  Creek,  ^hen  he  was  only  five  or  six  years  of  age, 


10  BOYHOOD. 

he  made  for  himself  a  booth  in  the  garden,  where  he  would 
sit  and  work  with  awl  and  needle,  making  himself  a  shot 
pouch  ;  for  at  that  period  every  thing  had  a  military  complex-  * 
ion,  the  alarm  of  war  having  sounded  through  our  peaceful 
country.  But  my  brother  was  at  the  furthest  remove  from 
a  warlike  spirit.  All  his  life  he  was  so  devoted  to  peace, 
that  he  would  at  any  time  rather  suffer  loss  than  enter  into 
contention.  His  youth,  manhood,  and  old  age  corresponded 
wdth  his  childhood.  He  Avas  of  uninterrupted  veracity,  and 
80  honest  that  no  temptation  could  ever  seduce  him  to  take 
an  advantage." 

The  country  was  new^,  and  the  times  were  difficult,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  youth  of  that  day  grew  up  with 
hardier  habits  than  ours.  Dr.  Alexander  used  repeatedly  to 
tell  his  children  that  his  father  gave  him  a  rifle  the  day  he 
was  eleven  years  old  ;  and  how  he  would  spend  days  in  the 
mountains  in  search  of  cattle  which  were  lost,  able  to  catch 
and  discriminate  the  bells  of  his  father's  herd  at  a  distance 
which  seems  almost  incredible.  He  was  an  expert  swimmer, 
and  grew  up  with  that  perfect  knowledge  of  horsemanship 
which  is  still  common  to  all  young  Virginians.  Trifles  serve 
to  colour  the  picture  of  the  times.  The  dress  of  the  children 
was  grotesque.  "  Long  hair,"  says  he,  "  tied  down  the 
back,  was  all  the  mode  ;  and  every  little  fellow  was  cherish- 
ing his  hair.  I,  among  the  rest,  had  a  little  dangling  queue, 
which  from  the  thinness  of  the  hair  was  very  small.  On 
this  account,  some  of  the  boys  called  me  '  My  Lord  Pig- 
tail.* A  great  laugh  was  raised  against  me,  by  my  having 
complained  to  the  master  of  this,  as  a  breach  of  the  third 
command  mc'nt. 


PKIVATIONS SCHOOLS.  11 

"  Some  judgment  may  be  formed  of  the  privations  of  the 
people,  consequent  on  the  long  continuance  of  the  war,  from 
the  fact,  that  it  was  very  difficult  for  our  teacher  to  obtain  a 
penknife,  to  make  and  mend  the  pens  of  the  scholars. 
Hearing  that  my  father  had  been  on  to  the  North  for  goods, 
I  was  mounted  on  a  lOrse  and  sent  home  to  get  a  knife. 
There  had  been  a  great  rain  and  the  streams  were  swollen. 
Arriving  at  the  North  River,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  which 
my  father's  house  stood,  I  found  that  the  river  was  too  high 
to  be  forded  by  so  young  and  weak  a  horse  as  the  one  I  rode. 
I  knew  not  what  to  do.  The  only  house  near  was  a  cabin  of 
one  John  Montgomery,  an  old  cedar-cooper.  To  cross  the 
river,  which  is  always  deep  at  that  spot,  John  had  made  a 
bark  canoe,  such  as  is  used  by  the  Indians.  I  sat  nearly  all 
day,  but  knew  not  how  I  should  pass  the  night.  But 
towards  sunset  the  old  man  said  he  would  go  up  with  me  to 
the  ford,  and  would  try  to  make  the  family  hear  our  call, 
that  a  servant  with  a  strong  horse  accustomed  to  the  ford 
might  be  sent  over.  In  this  we  succeeded.  Davy,  a  black 
boy,  crossed,  and  taking  me  behind  him  on  a  tall  horse,  led 
the  one  I  had  ridden,  but  it  was  not  without  danger." 

These  details,  as  belonging  to  the  history  of  Virginia, 
could  not  well  be  omitted.  We  shall  gather  from  the  narra- 
tive some  account  of  his  early  lessons  and  teachers,  which 
will  not  be  without  their  interest. 

Schools  were  very  scarce.  I  recollect  that  afrer  uui 
settlement  in  the  Forks,  as  the  whole  country  was  then  called 
between  the  James  River  and  its  North  Branch,  on  which 
last  we  resided,  my  eldest  brother  and  sister  went  to  a  school 


12  JACK    KEARDON. 

kept  in  the  woods,  halt*  a  mile  north  from  where  my  brothei 
Major  Alexander  now  lives.     The  master  was  one  Carrigan. 
They  were  every  day  carried  across  the  river  on  horseback. 
About  this  time,  that  is,  the  next  year  after  our  removal,  my 
father  went  on  a  trading  expedition  to  Baltimore,  and  there 
purchased  several  convict  servants,  who  had  been  transported 
for  crime.     Among  these  was  a  youth  about  eighteen  or 
twenty  named  John  Keardon,  born,  as  he  said,  in  Ireland, 
but  reared  from  a  child  in  London.     He  had  been  for  some 
time  at  a  classical  school,  and  had  read  Latin  books  as  far  as 
Virgil,  as  well  as  a  little  in  the  Greek  Testament.  He  wrote 
a  fair  hand  and  had  some  knowledge  of  book-keeping,  but  had 
never  been  accustomed  to  labour.     This  young  fellow,  it  was 
thought,  might  teach  school,  in  default  of  a  better,  and  accord- 
ingly a  hut  of  logs  was  erected  at  the  foot  of  Paxton's  Meadow, 
where  there  was  a  spring.     When  last  in  that  country,  I 
visited  the  spot  and  recognised  the  little  knoll  on  which  the 
house  stood,  but  no  vestige   of  it  remained,  and  nothing 
around  except  the  meadow  furnished  me  with  any  associations 
of  my  earliest  school.     For  though  this  place  was  a  mile 
from  our  house  by  the  direct  path  along  the  creek,  which  was 
narrow  and  disagreeable,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  by  old  Letty 
Campbell's  place,  thither  I  trudged  along  every  day,  with 
my  short  legs  and  httle  feet,  when  not  more  than  five  years 
old.     The  master,  as  being  my  father's   servant,  lodged   at 
our  house,  and  often  carried  me  in  his  arms  part  of  the  way. 
I  had  no  fear  of  him,  as  at  home  I  was  accustomed  to  call 
him  Jack,  and  often  conveyed  my  father's  commands  to  him. 
By  some  means,  I  know  not  how,  I  had  learned  to  read  in  the 


UUKN-bUOK WAii.  13 

New  Tt  dtamenl ,  before  I  went  to  this  school.  I  remembei 
a  horn-book,  and  a  folded  pasteboard,  with  letters  and  pic- 
tures, but  this  is  all.  The  school  was  large,  and  some  of 
the  scholars  were  nearly  grown.  It  consisted  of  both  boys 
and  girls.  Our  little  Englishman  made  himself  very  familiar 
with  the  larger  boys,  and  did  not  pretend  to  exercise  any 
authority  over  them.  But  he  would  lay  about  him  stoutly 
with  his  long  switch  upon  the  smaller  urchins,  when  they 
were  guilty  of  looking  off  their  books.  The  custom  was,  to 
read  with  as  loud  a  voice  as  we  could  while  getting  our  lessons, 
as  it  was  called.  When  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  a 
country  school,  one  might  hear  like  a  distant  cliime  the  united 
voices  of  the  scholars.  Upon  reflection,  I  cannot  think  that 
I  derived  the  smallest  benefit  from  the  year  or  part  of  a  year 
spent  in  this  school,  unless  my  lungs  may  have  been  strength- 
ened by  perpetual  exercise.  Before  the  year  was  out,  the 
war  had  commenced,  and  the  drum  and  fife  of  the  recruiting 
sergeant  were  heard  in  all  public  places.  Many  companies 
of  regulars  were  enlisted  in  that  region.  There  were  but  two 
tories  in  the  whole  country,  and  these  were  obliged  to  fly. 
Most  of  the  English  convicts,  whether  they  had  served  out 
their  time  or  not,  enlisted.  All  who  were  in  my  father's  ser- 
vice, namely,  James  Malone  an  Irish  papist,  Joe  Lyon  a 
thie^dsh  Jew,  and  John  Reardon,  went  off ;  for  these  men 
generally  cherished  a  deadly  hatred  to  England."' 

"Malone  and  the  Jew  enlisted  before  Reardon.  The 
former,  as  we  heard,  was  killed  in  Carolina.  Lyon,  who  was 
a  very  bad  man,  deserted  to  the  British.  Soon  after  Wal- 
lace's company  reached  the  scene  of  warfare,  Colonel  Beaufort 


14  REARDON   AND    LYON. 

was  attacked  by  Tarleton's  corps  in  North  Carolina.  The 
Colonel,  seeing  his  men  in  confusion,  fled  at  the  beginning 
of  the  battle,  and  almost  the  whole  of  his  command  was  cut 
to  pieces  by  the  dragoons.  Wallace  disdained  to  fly,  and 
being  surrounded  by  the  British  horse,  sold  his  life  dearly, 
having  first  killed  three  or  four  men  with  his  spontoon.  Eear- 
don,  being  a  small  man,  was  soon  cut  down.  He  had  three 
deep  wounds  in  the  arms,  one  bayonet  wound  through  the 
side,  which  only  penetrated  the  flesh,  and  a  severe  cut  on  the 
head.  After  the  battle  he  lay  bleeding  almost  to  death, 
among  the  slain  and  wounded,  totally  unable  to  move  him- 
self, but  perfectly  in  his  seoses.  When  night  came  on,  the 
moon  shone,  and  he  perceived  a  man  passing  near  him,  and 
wherever  he  observed  signs  of  life  despatching  the  suflerer 
with  his  bayonet.  He  presently  approached  Eeardon,  his 
musket  was  raised  and  his  bayonet  directed,  when  by  the 
moonlight  Reardon  perceived  that  this  murderer  was  his  old 
fellow-servant,  Joe  Lyon.  He  immediately  said,  ^  What, 
Joe — you  will  not  kill  me  ! '  Lyon  dropped  his  weapon  and 
appeared  amazed  ;  but  he  sat  down  beside  him,  bound  up  his 
bleeding  wounds  as  well  as  he  could,  brought  some  spirits  and 
water,  and  remained  by  him  a  good  part  of  the  night  ;  and 
before  day  dragged  him  to  a  small  hut  near  the  battle-field. 
Reardon,  from  whose  lips  I  often  heard  t^e  story,  believed 
that  the  kind  care  of  Lyon  saved  his  life.  Soon  afterwards 
the  battle  of  Guilford  took  place,  in  which  it  was  said  that 
Lyon  was  mortally  wounded.  Reardon  returned  to  school- 
keeping  on  Timber  Ridge." 

At  the  age  of  seven,  he  was  sent  away  to  board  at  the 


SCHOOL    AT    TIMBER    RIDGE  15 

lix^se  of  a  relation,  and  attend  a  school  on  Timber  Ridge. 
He  represents  himself  as  very  small  for  his  age,  and  both  timid 
and  peevish.  Having  previously  learned  the  Shorter  Cate- 
chism, he  was  now  put  to  learn  the  Larger.  "  When  I  re- 
turned, the  war  was  raging,  and  I  frequently  saw  companies 
of  backwoodsmen,  with  their  rifles,  brown  hunting-shirts,  and 
deer's-tail  cockades,  passing  on  to  the  theatre  of  conflict." 
The  young  subject  of  our  memoir  after  going  for  some  time 
to  the  school  of  one  Stevenson,  was  again  placed  under  the 
care  of  Reardon,  who  had  been  released  from  the  wars  and 
healed  of  his  wounds.  While  here  he  had  the  early  grief 
occasioned  by  hearing  that  his  father  had  been  draughted  as 
a  soldier  ;  his  place  was  however  taken  by  his  half-brother, 
John  Alexander.  He  next  went  to  school  to  John  Rhodes, 
an  Englishman,  and  also  a  "  redemptioner, "  as  such  bondmen 
were  called.  "  I  remember  this  year,"  says  he,  "  with  much 
satisfaction.  We  had  many  pleasant  schoolmates,  and  were 
pleased  with  our  learning.  I  spent  much  of  my  time  at  the 
writing-desk,  but  made  poor  progress.  In  arithmetic  and 
English  grammar  I  did  better  ;  but  at  that  time  we  had  no 
grammar  but  the  one  appended  to  the  spelling-book,  which 
was  founded  on  the  Latin.  This  I  laboriously  committed  to 
memory,  but  it  was  not  of  the  least  use  to  me.  I  was  now 
ten  years  old  ;  and  my  father  having  determined  to  give  a 
liberal  education  to  one  of  his  sons,  selected  me,  saying  to 
me  that  learning  was  to  be  my  estate.  The  Reverend  Wil- 
liam Graham,  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  had 
set  up  an  academy  at  Timber  Ridge  Meeting-House,  and  had 
obtained  an  ample  charter  from  the  Legislature.  He  travelled 


16  FIRST    CLASSICAL    SCHOOL. 

through  the  New  England  States,  soliciting  benefactions  foi 
his  seminary.  Several  small  neat  buildings  were  erected  foi 
the  use  of  the  students,  and  a  good  house  on  the  New  England 
model  was  reared  for  the  rector.  Students  came  in  a  goodly 
number,  mostly  grown  young  men.  Every  thing  promised 
success  ;  but  war  came  on  and  obstructed  the  progress  of  the 
institution,  which  was  named  Liberty  Hall.  The  school  in- 
deed existed  before  Mr.  Graham  came  into  the  State,' but 
had  its  seat  at  Mount  Pleasant,  near  to  the  site  of  the  village 
of  Fairfield,  six  or  seven  miles  to  the  east  of  Timber  Kidge. 
Here  Mr.  Graham  taught  for  a  year  or  more,  but  being  a 
man  of  much  enterprise,  he  wished  to  rear  a  seminary  after 
the  model  of  Princeton  College.  Having  received  a  call  to 
take  charge  of  the  congregations  of  Timber  Ridge  and  Hall's 
Meeting-House,  he  removed  the  school  to  the  former  place, 
where  he  conducted  it  for  several  years.  But  finding  an 
opportunity  to  purchase  a  farm  which  pleased  him  on  the 
North  River,  not  much  more  than  a  mile  from  the  present 
site  of  Lexington,  he  transferred  it  to  that  place,  and  had 
influence  with  a  majority  of  the  trustees  to  give  their  assent. 
The  spot  was  on  the  extreme  part  of  my  father's  property. 
My  father  was  pleased  to  have  the  school  brought  so  near 
him,  and  made  a  donation  of  as  much  laud  as  was  needed 
for  the  buildings.  In  the  mean  time,  studies  were  pursued 
in  an  upper  room  of  Mr.  Graham's.  Here  I  first  entered  on 
classical  learning." 

This  is  the  proper  place  for  giving  some  account  of  tL^ 
Reverend  William  Graham,  whose  name  must  occur  so  fre- 
♦^uently  in  these  pages.     To  no  man  did  Dr.  Alexander  own 


WILLIAM    GRAHAM.  17 

himself  more  indebted,  in  regard  to  the  direction  of  his 
studies  and  the  moulding  of  his  character.  Such  was  his 
uniform  testimony  through  life;  and  we  cannot  do  better 
than  to  subjoin  his  own  estimate  of  this  truly  great  thinker, 
gathering  it  from  a  discourse  delivered  in  1843,  among  the 
very  scenes  of  his  early  studies. 

"  Mr.  Graham  possessed  a  mind  formed  for  profound  and 
accurate  investigation.  He  had  studied  the  Greek  and  Latin 
classics  with  great  care,  and  relished  the  beauties  of  these 
exquisite  compositions.  With  the  authors  taught  in  the 
schools  he  was  familiar  by  long  practice  in  teaching,  and 
always  insisted  on  the  importance  of  classical  literature,  as 
the  proper  basis  of  a  liberal  education.  He  had  a  strong 
leaning  to  the  study  of  Natural  Philosophy,  and  took  great 
pleasure  in  making  experiments  with  such  apparatus  as  he 
possessed.  As.  he  was  an  ardent  patriot  and  thorough  repub- 
lican, the  times  in  which  he  lived  led  him  to  bestow  much 
attention  to  the  science  of  government ;  and  one  of  the  few 
pieces  which  he  wrote  for  the  press  was  on  this  subject.  By 
some  he  was  censured  for  meddling  with  politics  ;  but  it 
should  be  remembered  that  at  this  period,  the  country  having 
cast  off  its  allegiance  to  Great  Britain  and  declared  itself 
independent,  had  to  lay  the  foundation  of  governments, 
both  for  the  States  and  the  Nation  ;  and  the  welfare  of  pos- 
terity as  well  as  of  the  existing  inhabitants  of  the  land  was 
involved  in  the  wisdom  with  which  this  work  was  done. 
The  talents  of  any  man,  capable  of  thinking,  seemed  to  be 
fairly  put  into  requisition.  It  is  a  sound  maxim,  that  men 
living  at  one  time  must  not  be  judged  by  the  opinions  of  an 

2 


18  WILLIAM    GRAHAM. 

age  in  which  all  the  circumstances  are  greatly  changed.  At 
the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution,  which  according 
to  its  original  draught  he  did  not  approve,  he  relinquished 
all  attention  to  j)olitics  for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

"  The  science,  however,  which  engaged  his  thoughts  more 
than  all  others  except  Theology,  was  the  Philosophy  of  the 
Mind.  Though  acquainted  with  the  best  treatises  which  had 
then  been  published,  he  carried  on  his  investigations  not  so 
much  by  books,  as  by  a  patient  and  repeated  analysis  of  the 
Tarious  processes  of  thought  as  these  arose  in  his  own  mind, 
and  by  reducing  the  phenomena  thus  observed  to  a  regular 
system.  The  speaker  is  of  the  opinion,  that  the  system  of 
mental  philosophy  which  he  thus  formed,  was  in  clearness  and 
fulness  superior  to  any  which  has  been  given  to  the  public,  in 
the  numerous  works  recently  published  on  this  subject.  It  is 
greatly  to  be  regretted  that  his  lectures  were  never  commit- 
ted to  writing,  for  the  benefit  of  the  world.  It  was,  however, 
a  fault  of  this  profound  thinker,  that  he  made  little  use  of 
the  pen  ;  and  it  was  also  a  defect,  that  in  the  latter  years 
of  his  life  he  addicted  liimself  little  to  reading  the  produc- 
tions of  other  men,  and  perhaps  entertained  too  low  an 
opinion  of  the  value  of  books. 

"  Mr.  Graham,  in  his  theological  creed,  was  strictly  ortho- 
dox, according  to  the  standard  of  his  own  church,  which  he 
greatly  venerated  ;  but  in  his  method  of  explaining  some  of 
the  knotty  points  in  theology,  he  departed  considerably  from 
the  common  track,  judging  that  many  things  which  have 
been  involved  in  perplexity  and  obscurity  by  the  manner  in 
which  they  have  been  treated,  are  capable  of  easy  and  satis- 


WILLIAM    GRAHAM.  19 

factory  explanation,  by  the  use  of  sound  principles  of  philoso- 
phy. As  a  preacher,  he  was  always  instructive  and  evan- 
gelical ;  though  in  common  his  delivery  was  feeble  and  em- 
barrassed, rather  than  forcible  ;  but  when  his  feelings  were 
excited,  his  voice  became  penetrating  and  his  whole  man- 
ner awakening  and  impressive.  His  profound  study  of  the 
human  heart  enabled  him  to  describe  the  various  exercises 
of  the  Christian,  with  a  clearness  and  truth  which  often 
greatly  surprised  his  pious  hearers,  to  whom  it  seemed  as  if 
lie  could  read  the  inmost  sentiments  of  their  minds.  When 
his  object  was  to  elucidate  some  difficult  point,  it  was  his 
custom  to  open  his  trenches,  so  to  speak,  at  a  great  dis- 
tance ;  removing  out  of  the  way  every  obstacle,  until  he  was 
prepared  to  make  his  assault  on  the  main  fortress.  Thus 
insensibly  he  led  his  hearers  along  step  by  step,  gaining  their 
assent  first  to  one  proposition  and  then  to  another,  until  at 
last  they  could  not  easily  avoid  acquiescence  in  the  conclu- 
sion to  which  he  wished  to  bring  them.  As  a  clear  and 
cogent  reasoner,  he  had  no  superior  among  his  contemi)ora- 
ries  ;  and  his  pre-eminence  was  acknowledged  by  all  unpre- 
judiced persons. 

"  The  great  error  of  his  life  was  his  relinquishing  the 
important  station  in  which  Providence  had  placed  him,  and 
for  which  he  was  so  eminently  qualified,  and  this  at  a  time 
of  life  when  he  possessed  the  ability  of  being  more  useful  than 
in  any  former  period.  Having  removed  to  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio,  he  fell  into  great  embarrassments,  in  the  midst  of 
which  he  died,  in  consequence  of  a  violent  fever  contracted 
by  exposure  to  drenching  rains,  while  on  a  journey  to  Ri(^h- 


20  JAMES    PRIESTLY. 

mond.  In  that  city  he  breathed  his  last,  in  the  house  of  hi? 
friend^  the  late  Colonel  Robert  Gamble  ;  and  his  remains 
were  deposited  very  near  the  south  door  of  the  Episcopal 
church  on  the  hill,  over  which  is  placed  a  plain  marble  slab, 
with  a  short  inscription/'  ••' 

Concerning  the  school  which  Mr.  Graham  taught  in  his 
own  house,  we  have  some  remarks  of  Dr.  Alexander,  penned, 
as  we  believe,  in  the  last  months  of  his  life.  "  Here,"  says 
he,  "  the  writer  commenced  his  Hterary  career,  when  a  small 
boy.  With  the  romantic  scenery  around,  he  has  many  inter- 
esting associations  ;  bnt  these  are  feelings  which  cannot  be 
communicated.  Of  the  whole  number  of  youth  whom  he 
found  in  this  school,  he  supposes  that  not  one  remains  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  And  when  he  recollects  the  sportive  and 
joyous  hours,  and  the  little  foresight  which  any  of  the  num- 
ber had  of  their  future  course  of  life,  he  experiences  an  inde- 
scribable emotion,  especially  when  he  follows  them,  as  he  can 
in  most  cases,  in  their  various  fortunes.  All  the  pupils 
were  older  than  himself,  and  most  were  full-grown  men  ; 
and  while  some  rose  to  eminence  in  different  professions, 
others  pursued  a  devious  and  downward  course,  and  scarce 
lived  out  half  their  days."  f 

The  private  narrative  goes  on  with  further  particulars 
concerning  this  infant  college  :  "  Mr.  Graham  was  so  com- 
pletely occupied  with  his  new  farm,  that  he  paid  little  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  school.  But  his  usher,  James  Priestly, 
was  fully  competent.     Mr.  Graham  had  perceived  his  extra- 

*"  Address  before  the  Alumni  of  Washington  College,"  Lexington,  1843. 
f  MS.  Life  of  the  Rev.  William  Graham. 


JAMES   PRIESTLY.  21 

ordinary  memory,  while  yet  a  small  boy,  at  a  catechizing  ii^ 
the  congregation  ;  and  little  Priestly  was  domiciliated  with 
the  minister.  Here  his  progress  in  learning  Latin  and 
Greek  exceeded  any  thing  that  had  been  known  in  that  coun- 
try. His  memory,  indeed,  was  so  retentive,  that  he  seemed 
to  forget  nothing  that  he  read  or  heard.  It  was  the  custom 
for  all  the  boys  who  boarded  with  the  rector,  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  the  sermons  on  Sabbath  evening.  Priestly,  who 
seemed  asleep  all  the  time  of  preaching,  would,  nevertheless, 
repeat  the  sermon  almost  verbatim.  The  classics  commonly 
read  at  school,  he  had  so  completely  by  heart,  that  I  hardly 
ever  saw  a  book  in  his  hand,  when  hearing  classes  in  Ovid, 
Virgil,  Horace  or  Homer.  He  would  sometimes  take  his 
pupils  to  a  large  spring,  which  bursts  from  the  side  of  a 
steep  hill,  and  rushes  with  noise  into  the  river  just  below. 
The  place  is  very  romantic,  and  worth  a  visit  from  any  one 
who  is  in  Lexington.  Hither  Priestly  would  resort  with  his 
larger  scholars,  to  spout  the  orations  of  Demosthenes  in  the 
original,  with  all  the  fire  of  the  Grecian  orator  himself  He 
had  about  hin>  an  enthusiasm  which  transported  him  be- 
yond himself,  when  the  sentiments  which  he  uttered  were 
sublime.  Twenty  years  later,  I  have  seen  him  in  a  school  of 
two  hundred  boys  ;  and  when  one  of  them  did  not  declaim  to 
his  mind,  he  would  jump  out  into  the  floor,  and  deliver  the 
speech  as  he  conceived  it  ought  to  be  spoken. 

"  Mr.  Priestly  did  not  continue  to  be  a  teacher  in  the  school 
more  than  a  year  after  my  entrance.  He  directed  his  course 
towards  Maryland,  and  soon  received  employment  as  a  clas- 
sical instructor,  first  in  Annapolis,  and  then  in  Georgetown." 


22  PRIESTLY — LATIN    STUDIES. 

After  removing  to  Kentucky  as  a  lawyer,  lie  resumed  the 
business  of  teaching,  and  returned  to  Georgetown.  After 
some  time,  he  transferred  his  abode  to  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
where  I  visited  him  in  1801.  A  few  years  after  this  he  re* 
ceived  an  invitation  to  take  charge  of  the  Cumberland  Col- 
lege, as  it  was  then  called,  at  Nashville.  Here  he  spent  the 
last  years  of  his  life  ;  and  though  all  were  impressed  with  his 
extraordinary  learning,  and  his  high  qualifications  as  a  clas- 
sical teacher,  he  did  not  succeed  well  in  organizing  and  ar- 
ranging an  infant  college.  He  was,  indeed,  a  very  eccen- 
tric, though  a  very  amiable  man,  and  married  a  woman  as 
eccentric  as  himself"  "  Dr.  Priestly,"  says  the  Lexington 
Address,  above  cited,  ''  possessed  an  enthusiastic  ardour  in 
behalf  of  education,  which  I  have  never  seen  surpassed,  and 
succeeded  in  inspiring  his  pupils  with  somewhat  of  the  same. 
From  him  the  speaker  derived  the  first  impulse  in  his  literary 
course,  and  he,  therefore,  feels  a  pleasure  in  having  this  op- 
portunity of  paying  a  deserved  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a 
teacher  who  was  an  ornament  to  this  institution  in  its  ear- 
liest days." 

Even  under  such  tea(;hers,  the  attainments  of  our  young 
scholar,  as  he  represents  them,  were  humble.  Under 
Priestly  he  became  thoroughly  versed  in  Ruddiman's  Latin 
Grammar,  which  stuck  to  him  through  life.  He  was  encou- 
raged by  learning  that  the  usher  had  spoken  of  him  to  his 
father  as  a  boy  of  great  promise,  because,  says  he,  "  from  my 
earliest  years  a  sense  of  deficiency  has  preponderated  over  all 
vain  conceit  of  my  own  abilities."  Under  Mr.  Graham,  he 
proceeded  in  his  study  of  languages.    He  speaks  of  being  sur- 


EARLY    ORATORY.  23 

rounded  by  evil  companions.  The  school  became  exceed- 
ingly corrupt.  A  bashful  and  timid  disposition  kept  him 
from  many  excesses  ;  but  he  records  and  laments  his  initi- 
ation into  various  dangerous  games  and  foolish  practices 
About  the  time  that  he  began  to  read  Horace,  he  enjoyed 
the  able  instructions  of  a  new  usher,  Archibald  Koane,  after- 
wards Governor  of  Tennessee. 

In  the  life  of  one  who  afterwards  attracted  notice  as  a 
public  speaker,  the  following  incidents  ought  to  have  their 
place.  "  The  students  were  permitted,  in  order  to  improve 
themselves  in  speaking,  to  have  public  exhibitions,  in  which 
plays  were  acted.  Much  of  our  time  was  taken  up  in  re- 
hearsal. I  always  had  the  part  of  a  female,  as  being  of  the 
proper  size.  This  I  disliked  very  much,  but  it  was  pressed 
upon  me.  As  to  other  speaking,  I  made  a  poor  hand  of  it, 
and  was  seldom  able  to  get  through  my  speech.  In  writing 
and  composition,  nothing  could  be  more  miserable.  My 
handwriting  was  as  bad  as  it  well  could  be,  and  I  felt  unable 
to  compose  any  thing.  Once  I  attempted  to  take  part  in  a 
debate,  but  it  was  an  utter  failure.  After  the  departure  of 
Mr.  Koane,  we  fell  again  under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Graham, 
and  as  he  was  fond  of  Natural  Philosophy,  he  devoted  him- 
self most  cheerfully  to  the  improvement  of  the  pupils.  The 
course  which  we  followed  was  that  which  prevailed  at 
Princeton  under  Dr.  Witherspoon.  We  had  the  same  text- 
books, and  even  transcribed  his  lectures  on  Moral  Philosophy, 
and  Criticism.  Much  attention  was  then  paid  to  practical 
mathematics,  surveying,  mensuration  and  navigation." 

During   the   whole    time   of    his   connection    with   the 


24  CLOSE    OF    SCHOOL-DAYS. 

Academy  he  was,  according  to  subsequent  and  sober  views, 
making  very  little  advancement  in  mind  or  morals.  Envi- 
roned by  many  idle  and  some  profligate  boys,  he  joined  them 
in  many  of  their  ways  ;  though  not  without  pungent  checks 
of  conscience.  But  the  regular  course  of  study  had  been 
passed  through,  and  it  was  the  desire  of  the  Principal  that  he 
should  take  a  regular  degree,  conformably  to  powers  which 
had  been  granted  by  the  Legislature.  For  the  necessary 
examinations  he  now  began  to  prepare  with  great  diUgence. 
"  I  was,  however,  conscious,"  says  he,  "  that  I  had  passed 
over  most  of  the  studies  superficially,  although  at  every 
public  examination  I  had  been  placed  in  the  first  grade, 
more  on  account  of  my  youth  and  small  size  and  the 
promptitude  of  my  answers,  than  any  solid  desert.  But  I 
had  not  proceeded  far  in  my  review,  when  my  father  returned 
from  a  journey  to  Fredericksburg,  and  informed  me  that  he 
had  made  an  engagement  for  me  to  be  a  tutor  in  the  family 
of  General  Posey,  of  the  Wilderness,  twelve  miles  west  of 
Fredericksburg.  It  is  a  little  remarkable  that  on  that 
journey  he  staid  all  night  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Waddel 
(afterwards  my  father-in-law),  and  had  nearly  made  an 
arrane:ement  for  me  to  be  his  assistant  in  the  school  which 
he  kept.  I  was  only  a  little  turned  of  seventeen.  My 
father  was  very  peremptory  in  his  orders,  and  I  could  do 
nothing  but  obey." 

Before  we  leave  this  beautiful  and  picturesque  scenery 
of  Rockbridge,  we  think  it  suitable  to  give  some  view  of  the 
impression  which  it  made  on  the  subject  of  this  narrative. 


INFLUENCE   OF    SCENERY.  25 

It  was  a  topic  on  which  he  loved  to  dwell  in  animated  con- 
versation, even  to  his  latest  days.  His  own  words  are  these  : 
"  Whether  the  scenery  with  which  our  senses  are  con- 
versant in  early  life,  has  any  considerable  effect  on  the 
character  of  the  mind,  is  a  question  not  easily  determined. 
It  would  be  easy  to  theorize  on  the  subject  ;  and  formerly 
I  indulged  in  many  lucubrations,  which  at  the  time  seemed 
plausible,  all  tending  to  the  conclusion  that  minds  developed 
under  the  constant  view  and  impression  of  grand  or  pictur- 
esque scenery  must  in  vigour  and  fertility  of  imagination 
be  greatly  superior  to  those  who  spend  their  youth  in 
dark  alleys,  or  in  the  crowded  streets  of  a  large  city,  where 
the  only  objects  which  constantly  meet  the  senses  are  stone 
and  brick  walls,  and  dirty  and  offensive  gutters.  The  child 
of  the  mountains,  who  cannot  open  his  eyes  without  seeing 
sublime  peaks,  penetrating  beyond  the  clouds,  stupendous 
rocks,  and  deep  and  dark  caverns,  enclosed  by  frightful  pre- 
cipices, thought  I,  must  possess  a  vivid  impression  of  the 
scenes  of  nature,  by  which  he  will  be  distinguished  from 
those  born  and  brought  up  in  the  city,  or  in  the  dull,  mono- 
tonous plain,  where  there  is  neither  grandeur  nor  variety. 
Perhaps  there  might  be  a  little  vanity  mingled  with  these 
speculations,  as  it  was  my  lot  to  draw  the  first  breath  of  hfe 
at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  mountain,  and  on  the  bank  of  a  roaring 
mountain  torrent  ;  where  the  startHng  reveille  was  often  the 
liideous  howling  of  hungry  wolves.  But  when  I  attempted 
to  recollect  whether  I  had,  in  the  days  of  childhood,  ever 
experienced  any  sensible  impression  from  the  grandeur  of 
surrounding  objects,  or  had  ever  been  led  to  contemplate 


26  THE    HOUSE   MOUNTAIN. 

these  objecls  of  nature  with  any  strong  emotion,  I  could  not 
satisfy  myself  that  any  thing  of  this  sort  had  ever  occurred. 
The  only  reminiscence  was  of  impressions  made  by  the 
novelty  of  some  object,  not  before  seen  ;  or  some  fancied 
resemblance  to  something  with  which  I  was  familiar.  Two 
mountains,  somewhat  remarkable,  were  frequently  surveyed 
by  me  with  delight  ;  the  House  Mountain,  and  the  Jump 
Mountain  ;  both  appertaining  to  a  ridge,  called  in  the  valley 
the  North  Mountain.  The  first  of  these  is  a  beautiful 
mountain  which  stands  out  at  some  distance  from  the  main 
ridge,  and  from  the  middle  of  the  valley  exhibits  something . 
of  the  shape  and  appearance  of  a  house.  From  Lexington 
and  its  vicinity,  the  view  of  this  mountain  is  pleasant  and 
imposing.  The  idea  of  its  resemblance  to  a  house  took 
strong  hold  of  my  imagination  ;  and  especially  because  at 
the  western  end  there  was  the  resemblance  of  a  shed, 
which  corresponded  with  such  an  appendage  to  the  house  in 
which  my  childhood  was  spent.  And  now,  when  I  revisit 
the  place  of  my  nativity,  whilst  almost  every  thing  else  is 
changed,  the  House  Mountain  remains  the  same,  and  I  gaze 
upon  it  with  that  peculiar  emotion  which  attends  the  calling 
up  in  a  lively  manner  the  thoughts  and  impressions  of  infan- 
cy. The  idea  of  a  perfect  resemblance  to  a  house  was  so  deeply 
imprinted  on  my  mind,  in  relation  to  this  mountain,  that  I 
was  greatly  discomposed  and  disturbed  in  my  thoughts,  when 
a  boy,  by  having  occasion  to  travel  a  few  miles  towards  the 
east  end  of  the  mountain,  and  finding  that  every  resemblance 
of  a  house  was  gone  ;  and  when  instead  of  one  beautiful,  uni- 
form mountain,  as  smooth  and  steep  as  the  roof  of  a  house,  1 


MOUNTAIN    SCENERY.  97 

now  beheld  two  rough-looking  spurs,  separated  at  a  consider- 
able distance  from  each  other.  This  obliteration  of  a  pleas- 
ing idea  from  the  mind  was  painful ;  and  whenever  I  was  in 
a  situation  to  see  the  mountain  under  this  aspect,  the  un- 
pleasant impression  was  renewed.  Every  traveller  among 
mountains  must  have  noticed  how  remarkably  they  vary 
their  appearances,  as  he  changes  his  position  ;  and  not  only 
so,  but  from  the  same  site  a  prominent  mountain  exhibits 
a  wonderful  variety  of  aspects,  according  to  the  state  of  the 
atmosphere.  This  I  believe  is  what  is  called  looming,  and 
was  much  noticed  by  Mr.  Jefferson  from  Monticello,  particu- 
larly in  relation  to  that  remarkable  isolated  mountain,  called 
Wilhs's,  which  elevates  its  head  to  a  considerable  height,  at 
a  great  distance  from  any  other  mountain  or  hill. 

"  But  to  return  to  my  favourite,  the  House  Mountain.  In 
the  days  of  my  childhood — and  perhaps  it  is  still  the  case — 
this  mountain  was  commonly  burnt  over  every  year  ;  that 
is,  the  dry  leaves  on  the  ground  were  burnt.  When  the  fire 
extended  in  a  long  crooked  string  along  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  especially  when  near  the  top,  the  appearance 
was  grand  and  beautiful  in  a  very  dark  night.  It  had  all 
the  appearance  of  a  zig-zag  fire  in  the  sky  ;  and  whenever 
it  occurred,  greatly  attracted  and  delighted  the  boys.  It 
was  in  those  days  held  as  a  maxim  among  boys,  that  no  one 
ever  had  ascended,  or  could  ascend  to  the  ridge  or  summit 
of  the  House  Mountain  ;  but  since  that  time  I  understand 
that  not  only  men,  but  women,  have  been  successfid  in 
reaching  the  top  ;  and  have  thence  surveyed  the  varied  and 
delightful 'landscape  of  the  valley,  with  its  villages,  and  its 


28  THE   JUMP    MOUNTAIN. 

far  ns,  its  rivers  and  smaller  streams.     I  can  scarcely  con- 
c  ive  of  a  pleasanter  prospect  than  that  which  might  be 
njoyed  from  the  summit  of  the  House  Mountain. 

"  As  to  the  Jump  Mountain,  it  was  only  occasionally 
that  I  got  a  view  of  it  ;  and  although  the  descent  is  very 
abrupt  on  the  north  side,  so  that  the  top  of  the  mountain 
actually  seems  to  project,  my  mind  would  have  received  a 
slighter  impression  from  it,  had  not  the  first  view  of  it  been 
associated  with  a  story  told  me  by  an  older  boy,  that  the 
reason  why  it  was  called  the  Jump  Mountain,  was  because, 
at  a  certain  time,  a  man  had  actually  jumped  ofi"  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  and  fallen  dead  at  its  foot.  This  made  a 
deep  impression  on  my  mind,  and  although  I  have  seen  the 
mountain  hundreds  of  times  since,  I  believe  I  never  saw  it 
without  thinking  of  the  man  who  took  such  an  awful  leap. 
When  that  species  of  taste  is  developed  which  delights  in 
landscapes,  I  have  not  been  able,  with  any  precision,  to 
ascertain.  As  far  as  my  own  experience  goes,  or  rather  as 
far  as  memory  furnishes  me  with  facts,  I  think  that  while  a 
boy  at  school,  I  had  no  consciousness  of  the  exercise  of  any 
such  faculty.  The  love  of  novelty  is  almost  coeval  with  oui 
existence  ;  but  the  love  of  the  beauties  of  nature  is  slow  in 
its  development,  and  when  there  is  no  culture,  it  is  often 
scarcely  observable  in  mature  age.  Some  men  cast  their  eye 
over  a  lovely  landscape  with  as  little  emotion  as  is  expe- 
rienced by  the  horses  on  which  they  ride.  The  only  thought 
perhaps  is,  how  rich  the  land  ?  how  many  barrels  of  corn,  oi 
hogsheads  of  tobacco,  or  bushels  of  wheat,  might  be  raised 
here,  to  the  acre  ?     And  even  the  horse  will  experience  an 


THE   NATURAL    BRIDGE.  29 

emotion  as  elevated  as  his  rider's,  if  there  s]  mid  happen  to 
be  a  good  clover-field  in  sight.  As  it  relatts  to  objects  of 
sublimity,  I  have  found  it,  except  in  a  few  cases,  difficult  to 
distinguish  this  emotion  from  mere  wonder,  or  admiration. 
But  in  this  same  valley,  and  not  very  remote  from  the  ob- 
jects of  which  I  have  spoken,  there  is  one  which,  I  think, 
produces  the  feeling  which  is  denomihat  jd  the  sublime,  more 
definitely  and  sensibly  than  any  that  I  have  ever  seen.  1 
refer  to  the  Natural  Bridge,  from  which  the  county  takes  its 
name.  It  is  not  my  object  to  describe  this  extraordinary 
lusus  naturae,  as  it  may  be  called.  In  fact,  no  representation 
which  can  be  given  by  the  pen  or  pencil  can  convey  any 
adequate  idea  of  the  object,  or  one  that  will  have  the  least 
tendency  to  produce  the  emotion  excited  by  a  view  of  the 
object  itself  There  are  some  things,  then,  which  the  trav- 
eller, however  eloquent,  cannot  communicate  to  his  readers. 
All  I  intend  is,  to  mention  the  effect  produced  by  a  sight  of 
the  Natural  Bridge  on  my  own  mind.  When  a  boy  of  four- 
teen or  fifteen,  I  first  visited  this  curiosity.  Having  stood  on 
the  top,  and  looked  down  into  the  deep  chasm  above  and 
below  the  bridge,  without  any  new  or  very  strong  emotions, 
as  the  scene  bore  a  resemblance  to  many  which  are  common 
to  that  country,  I  descended  by  the  usual  circuitous  path 
to  the  bottom,  and  came  upon  the  stream  or  brook  some  dis- 
tance below  the  bridge.  The  first  view  which  I  obtained  of 
the  beautiful  and  elevated  blue  limestone  arch,  springing  up 
to  the  clouds,  produced  an  emotion  entirely  new  ;  tlie  feeling 
was  as  though  something  within  sprung  up  to  a  great  lieighi 
by  a  kind  of  sudden  impulse.     That  was  the  animal  sensa- 


30  EMOTION    OF    THE   SUBLIME. 

tion  which  accompanied  the  genuine  emotion  of  the  sublime 
Many  years  afterwards,  I  again  visited  the  bridge.  I  enter- 
tained the  belief,  that  I  had  preserved  in  my  mind,  all  along, 
the  idea  of  the  object  ;  and  that  now  I  should  see  it  without 
emotion.  But  the  fact  was  not  so.  The  view,  at  this  time, 
produced  a  revival  of  the  original  emotion,  with  the  con- 
scious feeling  that  the  idea  of  the  object  had  faded  aw^ay, 
and  become  both  obscure  and  diminutive,  but  was  now  re- 
stored,  in  an  instant,  to  its  original  vividness,  and  magnitude. 
The  emotion  produced  by  an  object  of  true  sublimity,  as  it 
is  very  vivid,  so  it  is  very  short  in  its  continuance.  It  seems, 
then,  that  riovelty  must  be  added  to  other  qualities  in  the 
object,  to  produce  this  emotion  distinctly.  A  person  living 
near  the  bridge,  who  should  see  it  every  day,  might  be 
pleased  with  the  object,  but  would  experience,  after  a  while, 
nothing  of  the  vivid  emotion  of  the  sublime.  Thus,  I  think, 
it  must  be  accounted  for,  that  the  starry  heavens,  or  the  sun 
shining  in  his  strength,  are  viewed  with  little  emotion  of  this 
kind,  although  much  the  sublimest  objects  in  our  view  ;  we 
have  been  accustomed  to  view  them  daily,  from  our  infancy. 
But  a  bright-coloured  rainbow,  spanning  a  large  arch  in  the 
heavens,  strikes  all  classes  of  persons  with  a  mingled  emotion 
of  the  sublime  and  beautiful ;  to  which  a  sufficient  degree  of 
novelty  is  added,  to  render  the  impression  vivid,  as  often  as 
it  occurs.  I  have  reflected  on  the  reason  why  the  Natural 
Bridge  produces  the  emotion  of  the  sublime,  so  well  defined 
and  so  vivid  ;  but  I  have  arrived  at  nothing  satisfiictory.  It 
must  be  resolved  into  an  ultimate  law  of  our  nature,  that  a 
novel  object  of  that  elevation  and  form  will  produce  such  an 


THE   SUBLIME.  31 

effect.  Any  attempt  at  analyzing  objects  of  beauty  and 
sublimity  only  tends  to  produce  confusion  in  our  ideas.  To 
artistSj  such  analysis  may  be  useful  ;  not  to  increase  the 
emotion,  but  to  enable  them  to  imitate  more  effectually 
the  objects  of  nature  by  which  it  is  produced.  Although  I 
have  conversed  with  many  thousands  who  had  seen  the  Na- 
tural Bridge  ;  and  although  the  liveliness  of  the  emotion  is 
very  different  in  different  persons  ;  yet  I  never  saw  one,  of 
any  class,  who  did  not  view  the  object  with  considerable 
emotion.  And  none  have  ever  expressed  disappointment 
from  having  had  their  expectations  raised  too  high,  by  the 
description  previously  received.  Indeed,  no  previous  descrip- 
tion communicates  any  just  conception  of  the  object  as  it 
appears  ;  and  the  attempts  to  represent  it  by  the  pencil,  as 
far  as  I  have  seen  them,  are  pitiful.  Painters  would  show 
their  wisdom  by  omitting  to  represent  some  of  the  objects 
of  nature,  such  as  a  volcano  in  actual  ebullition,  the  sea  in 
a  storm,  the  conflagration  of  a  great  city,  or  the  scene  of 
a  battle-field.  The  imitation  must  be  so  faint  and  feeble, 
that  the  attempt,  however  skilfully  executed,  is  apt  to  pro- 
duce disgustj  instead  of  admiration." 


CHAPTER  SECOND. 

1789. 

TUTORSHIP — RELIGIOUS      VIEWS — GENEEAL      POSEY — MRS.     TYLER AW/.S 

ENING— FLAVEL — WORK   OF    GRACE. 

BEFORE  we  accompany  the  youthful  teacher  on  his  travelsj 
it  is  proper  that  we  should  gather  some  notices  of  hid 
moral  and  religious  experience,  during  the  period  of  childhood 
and  youth.  This  we  shall  do  chiefly  from  certain  volumes 
of  manuscript  Reminiscences,  in  the  hands  of  his  children. 

Having  been  religiously  and  even  strictly  educated,  after 
the. manner  of  the  old  Presbyterians,  he  was  not  without 
solemn  awakenings  from  time  to  time.  At  an  early  age,  he 
received  deep  impressions  from  the  sermon  of  a  traveUing 
minister  ;  but,  as  a  caution  to  parents,  he  records  that  these 
instantly  vanished  upon  his  hearing  the  discourse  disparaged 
by  his  father  and  mother.  At  the  particular  period  last 
mentioned  by  us,  his  religious  views  were  crude  and  insuffi- 
cient. "  My  only  notion  of  religion  was  that  it  consisted  in 
becoming  better.  I  had  never  heard  of  any  conversion 
among  the  Presbyterians. The  state  of  morals  and  reli- 
gion in  that  country,  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  was  very 


STATE   OF    MORALS.  33 

bad.  The  old  continental  soldiers,  many  of  whom  in  that 
quarter  were  convicts,  now  returned,  and  having  received 
certificates  for  their  wages,  were  able  to  live  for  a  while  in 
idleness  and  dissipation.  Kobert  c-  c-  v;j,  a  shrewd  intelli- 
gent man,  who  was  one  of  this  number,  had  acquired  a  house 
in  Lexington,  the  old  farm-house  of  Isaac  Campbell,  who 
owned  the  land.  Here  he  collected  all  the  vagrants  in  the 
country,  and  a  drunken  bout  would  be  kept  up  for  weeks. 
They  called  themselves  the  Congress,  and  made  Bob  their 
president.  Hard  battles  were  fought  here.  The  better 
class  of  people  were  as  much  injured  by  the  profane  and 
licentious  manners  of  the  officers  of  the  disbanded  army,  as 
the  lower  classes  by  the  soldiery. 

"  There  were  a  few  pious  people  in  the  land,  who  kept  up 
the  power  of  religion,  and  were  as  salt  to  preserve  the  mass 
from  universal  putrefaction.  Among  these,  the  elder  John 
Lyle,  and  his  wife  Flora,  my  aunt,  were  conspicuous  ;  to 
whom  may  be  added  an  old  Mr.  M'Nutt,  Alexander  Walker, 
John  Wilson  and  Hugh  Weir  ;  the  two  last  being  ruling 
elders  in  Monmouth.  These  persons  spake  often  one  with 
another  about  the  affairs  of  the  Kingdom.  They  were  ex- 
ceedingly dreaded  by  the  wildest  of  the  people,  being  both 
reverenced  and  hated.  I  remember  having  been  at  a  dance 
in  Lexington,  when  John  Lyle,  the  elder,  called  to  see  a 
man  with  whom  he  had  business  ;  and  it  is  inconceivable 
what  a  consternation  was  spread  through  the  company,  when 
his  grave  and  stately  form  was  seen  to  approach  the  house. 

"  Much  of  our  time,  which  should  have  been  spent  in 
study,  was  consumed  in  playing  cards,  at  which  I  became  a 
s 


34  DEPARTURE    FROM    HOME. 

great  adept  ;  so  managing,  however,  as  to  avoid  detection, 
except  in  one  instance.  The  vacation  had  taken  plact,  and 
a  number  of  us  agreed  to  meet  in  the. Academy,  and  there 
pursue  our  usual  amusement.  But  while  we  surrounded  the 
table,  and  after  the  cards  had  been  dealt,  Mr.  Roane  entered 
the  room.  Seeing  what  we  were  about,  he  seemed  con- 
founded and  passed  along.  We  were  in  great  alarm,  and  fell 
into  a  hot  dispute  as  to  whether  he  had  made  any  discovery  ; 
when  aftei  a  few  minutes  he  returned  and  spoke  to  us  in  a 
very  serious  and  admonitory  manner.  But  he  said  that  if 
we  would  pledge  ourselves  never  to  be  guilty  of  such  an 
offence  again  while  we  were  students,  he  would  not  inform 
against  us.  To  this  we  readily  agreed,  and  I  kept  my 
promise,  for  I  have  never  thrown  a  card  from  that  day  to 
this.'' 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  sufficiently  obvious,  that 
he  left  his  father's  house  with  no  tokens  as  to  the  manner  of 
life  which  he  was  destined  to  lead.  His  journey  was  a  soli- 
tary one,  across  the  Blue  Ridge,  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  miles.  And  this  brought  him  to  a  new  and  im- 
portant period  of  his  history. 

At  the  early  age  of  seventeen  Archibald  Alexander  left 
his  father's  house,  to  become  a  private  tutor  in  the  family 
of  General  John  Posey,  of  the  Wilderness,  in  the  county  of 
Spotsylvania.  The  family  residence  wars  in  a  very  retired  sit- 
uation, where  a  few  persons  of  wealth  had  valuable  estates. 
Among  these,  visits  were  frequent,  but  few  other  persons  came 
into  the  neighbourhood.  General  Posey  had  done  service 
in  the  Revolution  us  a  commander  of  riflemen  in  Morgan's 


THE   WILDERNESS.  35 

famous  corps,  in  which  he  finally  rose  to  be  Colonel.  He  was 
a  man  of  noble  aj^pearance  and  courtly  manners.  Mrs.  Po- 
sey, who  had  been  a  beauty  in  her  youth,  was  now  at  the  age 
of  forty  a  fine  and  stately  person.  She  was  addicted  to  the 
pleasures  of  society,  but  generally  took  the  side  of  religion,  in 
a  day  when  it  was  frequently  impugned,  and  seemed  to  be 
vacillating  between  duty  and  the  world.  Though  somewhat 
decayed  in  wealth,  the  Poseys  maintained  much  of  the  style 
which  belonged  to  old  Virginia  families.  The  pupils  were 
John  Posey  and  George  and  Keuben  Thornton,  sons  of  a  for- 
mer marriage ;  a  daughter,  Lucy,  came  in  for  occasional  lessons. 
The  young  preceptor  felt  the  embarrassment  of  his  new 
situation,  and  was  burdened  with  a  sense  of  his  incompetency. 
One  of  the  scholars  was  larger  than  himself,  and  they  had 
all  been  taught  with  some  accuracy.  Their  youthful  tutor, 
though  he  had  read  largely,  was  well  grounded  in  nothing 
but  the  grammar.  Cornelius  Nepos,  which  he  read  with 
them,  was  new  to  him  and  offered  many  difficulties,  and  his 
nights  were  often  spent  in  preparing  for  the  next  day's  lesson, 
amidst  regrets  that  he  had  not  made  more  faithful  prepara- 
tion. But  he  ascribed  to  this  pressure  all  the  accuracy  which 
he  afterwards  attained  in  the  Latin  language.  In  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  he  has  been  heard  to  say,  that  during  the 
half-century  then  past,  he  had  read  more  Latin  than  EngHsh. 
He  carried  some  of  his  scholars  into  Caesar  and  Virgil.  The 
house  contained  a  small  country  library,  and  he  devoted  his 
spare  hours  to  the  reading  of  history,  of  which  his  knowledge 
was  scanty.  In  this  way  he  perused  with  much  avidity 
hollin's  Ancient   History,  his  History  of  Kome,  in  sixteen 


36  RELIGIOUS    ATTAINMENTS. 

octavo  volumes,  Kapin's  England,  besides  books  of  travels 
He  attenij^ted  Locke's  Essay,  but  with  little  comprehension 
of  the  argument.  In  after  life  he  was  accustomed  to  dissuade 
instructors  from  entering  their  pupils  prematurely  into  philo- 
sophical works,  and  said  in  reference  to  this  ineffectual  at- 
tempt, "  This  fact  shows  that  a  capacity  and  relish  for  any 
particular  study  may  be  late  in  developing  itself  Mental  Sci- 
ence became  afterwards  my  favourite  study."  He  speaks  about 
this  period  of  one  Mr.  Jones,  a  neighbour,  who  had  Cartesian 
books,  to  whom  he  lent  Mai  tin's  Grammar  of  Philosophy,  as 
this  friend  was  unacquainted  with  the  Newtonian  system.  In 
the  seclusion  of  the  Wilderness,  far  fi'om  all  congenial  (com- 
pany, he  was  seldom  without  a  book  in  his  hand,  except  when 
he  was  giving  up  his  mind  to  solitary  meditation. 

As  to  his  religious  views  at  this  time,  the  records  which 
he  has  left  are  happily  full  and  explicit.  He  had  learnt  tlie 
Shorter  Catechism  and  a  good  portion  of  the  Larger,  but 
without  reflection,  so  that  he  describes  his  ignorance  as  pro- 
found. With  an  utter  aversion  to  what  was  spiritual,  he 
cherished  a  strorg  predilection  in  favour  of  religion  in  general, 
and  particularly  in  favour  of  that  in  which  he  had  been  brought 
up.  Of  the  two  classes  of  professors  in  his  native  county, 
his  father  belonged  to  the  more  liberal  and  accommodating  ; 
and  the  son  had  been  wont  to  laugh  at  any  who  gave  signs 
of  extraordinary  devotion.  Up  to  this  time  he  had  never  felt 
any  thing  hke  a  serious  influence,  except  of  the  most  transient 
kind.  From  Mr.  Graham,  the  Kev.  John  B.  Smith,  and 
other  preachers  of  the  time,  who  visited  Kockbridge,  he  some- 


PREACHING    OF    MR.    GRAHAM.  37 

times  heard  startling  truth,  with  a  momentary  effect.     He 
remembered  all  his  life  a  sermon  of  Adam  Rankin,  who  ve- 
hemently cried  in  one  of  his  addresses,  ''  0  ye  people  of 
Timber  Ridge,  if  you  are  determined  not  to  go  to  heaven,  I 
will  go  without  you  !  "    "  It  is  remarkable,"  said  he,  "  that  I 
never  paid  any  attention  to  what   our  own  preacher  said  in 
the  pulpit.     His  voice  was  very  low,  and  much  interrupted 
by  continual  hemming,  or  clearing  the  throat.     I  thought 
him  the  worst  preacher  of  all  that  I  ever  heard,  but  was  as- 
tonished to  hear  a  sensible  man,  who  had  no  love  to  him, 
say  that  he  had  more  sense  than  all  the  rest  put  together. 
While  I  was  under  his  tuition,  he  resigned  the  charge  of  both 
his  congregations,  and  then  preached  in  the  Academy  to  the 
students ;  but  the  house  was  crowded  with  the  people  of  his 
late  charge.     The  students  were  warned,  that  these  sermons 
they  must  remember,  for  they  would  be  required  to  give  the 
substance  in  writing.     This  caused  us  to  hear  with  attention. 
He  began  with  the  proofs  of  the  being  of  a  God,  and  went 
on  systematically.  I  remembered  a  good  deal,  but  understood 
nothing.     One  day  however  he  took  a  practical  subject,  and 
discoursed  about  the  new  views  given  by  the  illumination  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.     My  attention  was  gained  at  the  commence- 
ment and  fixed  throughout  the  sermon.     It  seemed  as  if  a 
new  world  had  suddenly  risen  to  my  view  ;  but  as  soon  as  the 
discourse  ended  the  scene  vanished,  and  for  years  afterwards 
I  never  once  recollected  that  I  had  such  new  views."     Such 
was  the  state  of  mind,  when  he  was  brought  by  Divine  Provi- 
dence into  a  situation  which  was  to  prove  so  important  to  his 
higher  interests. 


38  A    RELIGIOUS    FRIEND. 

In  the  house  of  General  Posey,  an   aged  Christian  lady. 
Mrs.  Tyler,  had  found  a  refuge.     She  was  a  Baptist,  and 

was  well  bred  and  well  informed,  having  seen  better  days. 

« 

In  the  embarrassing  circumstances  of  the  young  family  tutor. 
Providence  raised  him  up  an  invaluable  friend  in  this  excellent 
woman.  She  corrected  his  opinions  and  guided  him  in  the 
choice  of  useful  books.  Sometimes  she  related  her  own  re- 
ligious experience.  In  early  life  she  had  been  gay  and  fond 
of  admiration.  The  only  form  of  Christianity  with  which 
she  was  then  acquainted  was  that  of  the  English  Establish- 
ment. When  the  Baptists  first  began  to  preach  in  the  coun- 
try she  held  them  in  contempt,  and  used  to  goto  their  meet- 
ings purposely  to  ridicule  the  blunders  of  their  ministers. 
But  under  a  discourse  from  an  aged  stranger,  she  found  her 
peace  of  mind  effectually  destroyed.  In  her  deep  and  con- 
tinued distress  she  was  without  any  adviser,  and  knew  not 
whither  to  look  for  direction  and  relief  At  length  she  came 
deliberately  to  the  conclusion  that  she  should  certainly  be 
lost.  Her  efforts  were  vain,  and  she  sank  into  a  calm  despair. 
But  she  remembered  to  have  heard  that  the  souls  in  perdition 
blaspheme  God  in  their  anguish.  This  she  felt  that  she  could 
never  do.  She  should  for  ever  bless  God  for  his  goodness. 
Thinking  thus,  she  found  the  plan  of  salvation  by  Christ 
opened  to  her  view,  and,  filled  with  admiration,  she  owned 
herself  willing  to  take  up  the  cross  and  follow  Christ.  Nor 
was  the  self-denial  small  to  which  she  was  called.  The  Bap- 
tists, under  whose  ministry  she  was  awakened,  were  a  despised 
people  in  Virginia.  Yet  she  joined  them,  in  the  face  of  re- 
monstrance  and  contempt  from  all  her  connections.     Such 


BAPTfST    PREACHING  39 

was  the  narrative  which  she  gave,  adding  as  she  turned  to 
the  inexperienced  young  man,  ''  Now  I  know  all  this  must 
appear  utter  nonsense  to  you,  who  have  felt  nothing  of  the 
kind."  He  was  silent,  but  was  deeply  convinced,  from  the 
solemnity  of  her  manner,  that  there  must  be  a  reality  in 
these  things. 

Mrs.  Tyler  did  not  address  to  him  many  observations  as 
to  his  own  particular  case,  but  she  often  spoke  of  religious 
matters.  In  her  view,  the  Presbyterians,  as  she  had  seen 
them,  were  sound  in  doctrine,  but  deficient  in  inward  expe- 
rience. She  was  anxious  that  he  should  listen  to  the  best 
preachers  of  her  own  persuasion.  This  was  not  easy,  as 
those  who  appeared  in  Spotsylvania  were  of  an  inferior  sort. 
The  Baptists  were  divided  into  two  classes,  known  respect- 
ively as  the  Kegular  and  the  Separate  ;  and  the  former 
regarded  the  latter  as  wild  and  fanatical.  The  Church  of 
the  Wilderness  was  served  by  the  Separate  Baptists.  "  Their 
stated  preacher  was  Aaron  Bledsoe,  a  stout,  corpulent  man, 
who,  when  he  preached  in  warm  weather,  took  off  his  coat 
and  neckcloth,  threw  open  his  collar,  and  generally  became 
so  earnest  that  before  he  was  done  he  was  black  in  the  face. 
In  every  sermon  he  gave  an  account  of  his  own  experience." 
The  people  of  wealth  seldom  attended,  but  when  any  such 
happened  to  be  present,  Bledsoe  treated  them  without 
leniency,  and  sometimes  inveighed  against  learning,  it  was 
supposed  for  the  benefit  of  the  young  teacher.  These  meet- 
ings exhibited  those  strange  bodily  agitations  which  after- 
jv^ards  became  so  frequent  in  the  Southern  revivals.     Not 


40  THE   PIOUS   MILLWRIGHT. 

only  were  there  enthusiastic  responses  and  outcries,  but 
leaping,  contortions,  swooning,  and  convulsions. 

Mrs.  Tyler  was  mortified  at  these  exhibitions,  and  often 
expressed  the  wish  that  her  young  friend  might  hear  her 
own  minister,  whose  name  was  Frisbie.  For  this  purpose 
they  once  set  out  on  a  short  journey  beyond  the  Rappahan- 
nock. The  river  was  high,  and  they  crossed  it  on  horse- 
back at  some  peril.  At  the  house  of  a  worthy  Scotch  Pres- 
byterian named  Morrison,  they  enjoyed  a  hospitable  recep- 
tion. It  was  the  time  of  a  great  meeting,  or  sacramental 
season,  among  the  Regular  Baptists.  The  assembly  was  too 
large  to  be  contained  by  the  small  meeting-house.  Mr. 
Frisbie  preached  out  of  doors.  His  text  was,  "  We  preach 
not  ourselves,  but  Jesus  Christ,  and  ourselves  your  servants 
for  Jesus'  sake."  Mr.  Alexander  records  that  he  was  too 
much  occupied  with  the  strange  and  promiscuous  assembly 
to  pay  much  attention  to  the  discourse.  It  contained^  how- 
ever, a  fling  at  learning,  and  yet  was  highly  pleasing  to  Mrs. 
Tyler,  who  was  disappointed  that  it  had  made  so  little  im- 
pression. But  the  words  of  the  private  record  will  best  con- 
tinue this  part  of  the  narrative. 

"  About  this  time  General  Posey  had  a  mill  built  on  his 
plantation,  and  the  millwright  was  a  Baptist  by  the  name 
of  Waller,  a  brother,  I  think,  of  a  famous  Baptist  preacher 
called  Jack  Waller.  I  often  talked  with  this  man  about  his 
business  and  other  matters  ;  but  one  day  he  unexpectedly 
turned  to  me  and  asked  me  whether  I  believed  that  before  a 
man  could  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  he  must  be  born 
again.     I  knew  not  what  to  say,  for  I  had  for  some  time 


TH5   NEW   BIRTH.  41 

been  i3uzzled  about  the  new  birth.  However,  I  answered  m 
the  aflSrmative.  He  then  asked  whether  I  had  experienced 
the  new  birth.  I  hesitated,  and  said,  '  Not  that  I  knew  of.' 
'  Ah,'  said  he,  '  if  you  had  ever  experienced  this  change  you 
would  know  something  about  it  ! '  Here  the  conversation 
ended  ;  but  it  led  me  to  think  more  seriously  whether  there 
were  any  such  change.  It  seemed  to  be  in  the  Bible  ;  but  I 
thought  there  must  be  some  method  of  explaining  it  away  ; 
for  among  the  Presbyterians  I  had  never  heard  of  any  one 
who  had  experienced  the  new  birth,  nor  could  I  recollect 
ever  to  have  heard  it  mentioned.  This  became  about  the 
same  time  a  subject  of  discussion  at  the  table,  after  old  Mrs. 
Tyler  had  withdrawn,  especially  on  Sunday.  In  these  con- 
versations Mrs.  Posey,  who  professed  to  be  a  '  seeker,'  de- 
fended the  Baptist  opinions,  and  so  did  old  Mrs.  William 
Jones,  who  I  believe  was  a  truly  pious  woman.  General 
Posey  declared  that  he  did  not  believe  in  any  such  miracu- 
lous change,  but  added  that  he  would  credit  it,  if  Mrs.  Posey 
should  ever  profess  that  she  had  experienced  it.  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Jones  was  a  good-natured,  luxm^ious,  skeptical  man, 
who  avoided  giving  offence  by  any  avowal  of  his  opinions, 
Dut  plainly  insinuated  that  religion  was  a  disease  of  weak 
and  superstitious  minds,  and  that  all  that  was  necessary  for 
a  cure  was  an  acquaintance  with  philosophy.  Major  Jones 
cared  for  none  of  these  things.  His  opinion  was  that  preach- 
ing was  as  much  a  trade  as  any  thing  else."  These  details 
give  glimpses  of  a  state  of  society  which  many  a  reader  will 
recognise  as  familiar. 

Mrs.  Tyler  pursued  her  calm  religious  course  amidst  all 


42  SKEPTICISM. 

these  misapprehensions.  She  loved  the  writings  of  John 
Flavel,  and  could  not  but  desire  to  make  them  known  to 
the  youthful  Presbyterian  inquirer.  As  her  eyes  were  weak 
she  often  sent  for  him  to  read  to  her,  a  request  with  whith 
he  complied  at  first  out  of  courtesy,  and  afterwards  from 
some  increase  of  interest  in  the  author.  Learnins:  that 
Flavel  was  a  Presbyterian,  he  took  pains  to  discover  what 
were  his  views  of  regeneration.  He  had  never  read  any 
thing  upon  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  Though  he  knew 
of  infidel  books  in  the  hands  of  other  young'  men,  he  had 
never  read  them,  feeling  no  interest  in  the  argument.  But 
now,  when  his  mind  began  to  be  enlarged  by  the  reading  of 
history,  and  he  found  that  there  were  other  religions,  the 
professors  of  which  were  fully  confident  of  their  systems,  he 
was  staggered,  and  asked  himself  what  basis  he  had  for  his 
own  belief  This  doubt  was  increased  by  the  knowledge 
that  many  intelligent  men  in  the  country  rejected  revela- 
tion, and  under  the  influence  of  French  philosophy  that 
these  opinions  were  rapidly  on  the  increase.  Still  he  felt  a 
strong  reluctance  to  give  up  the  truth  of  Christianity,  and 
the  prejudices  of  education  were  salutary. 

"  So  ignorant  was  I  (thus  he  writes)  that  I  did  not 
know  that  any  book  had  ever  been  written  in  defence  of 
Christianity  ;  of  course,  I  knew  not  whither  to  go  to  have 
my  doubts  removed  and  my  faith  strengthened.  My  mind 
became  anxious  on  the  subject,  which  frequently  dwelt  on 
my  thoughts.  It  happened,  providentially,  that  into  a  trunk 
of  classical  and  scientific  books,  sent  to  me  from  home  at  my 
request,  some  lady  had  thrown  a  coarse  pamphlet,  which  I 


SOAME   JENYNS.  43 

had  often  seen  tossing  about  at  home  ;  and  when  I  now  saw 
itj  I  felt  displeased  that  this  old  pamphlet  should  have  been 
sent.  But  on  looking  at  the  title-page,  I  observed  the  word 
'  Evidences/  and  it  struck  me  immediately  that  it  was  possi- 
bly something  in  favour  of  Christianity.  On  further  inspec- 
tion, I  saw  that  I  was  not  mistaken,  for  the  whole  title  was 
^  Internal  Evidences  of  the  Christian  Keligion,  by  Soame 
Jenyns,  Esq.'  I  was  rejoiced ;  and  as  all  the  family  had 
gone  to  church,  I  sat  down  and  began  to  read.  At  every 
step  conviction  flashed  across  my  mind,  with  such  bright 
and  overwhelming  evidence,  that  when  I  ceased  to  read,  the 
room  had  the  appearance  of  being  illuminated.  I  never  had 
such  a  feeling  from  the  simple  discovery  of  truth.  And  it 
is  my  opinion,  that  no  argument  of  the  external  or  historical 
kind  would  have  produced  such  a  conviction.'"  This  inci- 
dent sufficiently  accounts  for  the  warm  terms  in  which,  even 
to  the  close  of  hfe,  Dr.  Alexander  was  accustomed  to  recom- 
mend this  treatise  of  Jenyns,  though  with  an  earnest  pro- 
test against  the  whimsies  of  the  brilliant  but  sometimes  chi- 
merical author. 

"What  has  been  related  shows  a  mind  under  divine  lead- 
ings. In  addition,  he  says  of  himself,  that  he  had  often 
prayed  mentally  when  he  was  in  danger,  or  when  his  friends 
were  ill,  but  was  wholly  a  stranger  to  secret  prayer,  as  a  ha- 
bitual practice.  Now  he  began  to  have  a  concern  about  his 
salvation,  which  led  him  to  retirement.  Every  morning, 
when  the  weather  would  permit,  he  took  a  long,  solitary 
walk  through  the  fields,  terminating  it  at  the  Wilderness 
Creek,  which  ran  along  the  border  of  the  plantation.      Here 


44  FLAVEL. 

he  found  some  plots  of  green  grass,  sun'ounded  by  thickevs, 
and  overhung  by  great  birch  trees  ;  and  here,  with  his 
knife,  he  made  a  booth  or  arbour.  To  this  sequestered  spot 
he  used  to  retire  for  prayer,  taking  some  volume  with  hira, 
on  the  Lord's  day.  He  records  that  on  a  certain  Sunday 
evening,  his  meditations  of  God  and  divine  things  became 
solemn  and  delightful,  so  that  he  was  unwilling  to  withdraw 
his  thoughts  from  these  object^,  when  it  became  necessary  to 
return  home.  But  all  this  was  without  a  radical  reformation 
of  character. 

"  My  services  as  a  reader  (such  is  his  own  account)  were 
frequently  in  requisition,  not  only  to  save  the  eyes  of 
old  Mrs.  Tyler,  but  on  Sundays  for  the  benefit  of  the 
whole  family.  On  one  of  these  Sabbath  evenings,  I  was  re- 
quested to  read  out  of  Flavel.  The  part  on  which  I  had 
been  regularly  engaged  was  the  ^  Method  of  Grace  ; '  but 
now,  by  some  means,  I  was  led  to  select  one  of  the  sermons 
on  Kevelation  iii.  20,  "  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock,''  &c.  The  discourse  was  upon  the  patience,  forbear- 
ance and  kindness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  impenitent 
and  obstinate  sinners.  As  I  proceeded  to  read  aloud,  the 
truth  took  effect  on  my  feelings,  and  every  word  I  read 
seemed  applicable  to  my  own  case.  Before  I  finished  the 
discourse,  these  emotions  became  too  strong  for  restraint, 
and  my  voice  began  to  falter.  I  laid  down  the  book,  rose 
hastily,  and  went  out  with  a  full  heart,  and  hastened  to  m)^ 
place  of  retirement.  No  sooner  had  I  reached  the  spot  than 
I  dropped  upon  my  knees,  and  attempted  to  pour  out  my 
feelings  in  prayer ;  but  I  had  not  continued  many  minutea 


EARLY    JOY.  45 

in  this  exercise  before  I  was  overwhelmed  with  a  flood  of 
joy.  It  was  transport  such  as  I  had  never  known  before, 
and  seldom  since.  I  have  no  recollection  of  any  distinct 
views  of  Christ  ;  but  I  was  filled  with  a  sense  of  the  good- 
ness and  mercy  of  God  ;  and  this  joy  was  accompanied  with 
a  full  assurance  that  my  state  was  happy,  and  that  if  I  was 
then  to  die,  I  should  go  to  heaven.  This  ecstacy  was  too  high 
to  be  lasting,  but  as  it  subsided,  my  feelings  were  calm  and 
happy.  It  soon  occurred  to  me  that  possibly  I  had  experi- 
enced the  change  called  the  new  birth.  But  as  I  was  walk- 
ing homeward,  the  thought  presented  itself,  that  if  this  was 
indeed  conversion,  the  effect  would  be  that  I  should  leave  off 
all  my  sins  ;  and  I  was  willing  to  make  this  the  criterion  of 
my  state.  For  a  few  days  I  guarded  against  every  thing 
which  I  knew  to  be  wrong  ;  but  in  a  week  my  former  feel- 
ings returned,  and  when  exposed  to  temptation  I  trans 
gressed  as  before.  The  next  day  the  recollection  filled  me 
with  unutterable  anguish  ;  for,  agreeably  to  my  own  judg- 
ment, my  hopes  of  heaven,  which  had  been  so  strong,  were 
all  blasted.  I  make  no  remarks  on  this  joyful  frame.  Such 
experiences  are  not  uncommon,  and  are  often  taken  for  con- 
version." 

By  reading  so  much  in  Flavel,  and  hearing  the  remarks 
of  his  aged  friend,  he  began  to  emerge  somewhat  from  his 
former  ignorance,  and  to  comprehend  the  cardinal  doctrines 
of  Christianity.  About  this  time,  a  little  book,  "  Jenks  on 
Justification  by  Faith,''  fell  into  his  hands.  This  treatise 
he  read  with  an  effect  not  unlike  what  had  proceeded  from 
the  perusal  of  Jenyns.     Before  this  he  had  been  in  darkness 


46  INCREASE    OF    KNOWLEDGE. 

and  perplexity  as  to  the  way  of  acceptance  with  God,  or,  as 
he  expressed  it,  he  was  leaning  on  the  old  covenant.  "  Now 
every  thing  appeared  as  clear  as  if  written  with  a  sunbeam. 
The  effect  on  Mrs.  Posey  was  similar  ;  for  she  spoke  of  the 
book  in  the  most  exalted  terms.  I  recollect  that  the  author, 
who  was  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  confesses 
he  had  preached  for  a  long  time  without  knowing  the  true 
method  of  salvation.  And  when  his  eyes  were  opened,  he 
published  this  little  volume,  to  open  the  eyes  of  other  legal- 
ists. It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  from  that  day  to  this, 
a  period  of  half  a  century,  chiefly  spent  among  books,  I  have 
never  seen  another  copy  of  this  work,  and  have  never  con- 
versed with  any  one  who  knew  it ;  so  that  at  length  I  began 
to  think  that  I  had  forgotten  the  true  title  ;  but  about  a 
year  ago,  I  happened  to  see  a  favourable  mention  of  it, 
under  the  very  name  which  I  had  preserved  in  my  memory. 

"  I  now  began  to  read  Flavel  for  my  own  instruction,  and 
also  Burkitt,  which  was  the  only  commentary  in  the  house. 
The  two  great  doctrines  of  Justification  and  Regeneration 
I  began  to  understand,  at  least  in  theory.  A  good  sermon 
was  now  a  feast  to  me.  At  the  Wilderness  meeting-house, 
one  Sunday,  we  found  in  the  pulpit  a  grave,  well-looking 
man,  named  Saunders,  who  had  for  his  text,  1  John  ii.  2,  3. 
His  explanation  of  Christ's  propitiatory  work  for  the  whole 
world,  in  which  he  opposed  the  Arminians  and  Universalists, 
gave  me  great  satisfaction.  He  was  one  of  the  Regular 
Baptists. 

"  This  year,  1788-89,  was  in  many  respects  the  most  im- 
portant of  my  life.     If  I  had  not  the  beginnings  of  a  work  of 


PROGRESS    OF    AWAKENING.  47 

grace,  my  mind  was  enlightened  in  the  knowledge  of  truths, 
of  which  I  had  lived  in  total  ignorance.  I  began  to  love  the 
truth,  and  to  seek  after  it,  as  for  hid  treasure.  To  John 
Flavel  I  certainly  owe  more  than  to  any  uninspired  author. 
During  the  year  I  paid  one  visit  to  my  friends  in  Lexington, 
and  heard  Mr.  Graham  preach  a  sermon  on  the  text,  '  For  our 
righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags.'  The  utter  insignificancy 
of  our  own  works,  and  the  need  of  a  better  righteousness 
than  our  own,  were  of  course  the  subjects.  It  was  the  first 
intelligent  discourse  to  which  I  had  listened  since  my  new 
understanding  of  the  doctrines  in  question,  and  it  gave  me 
great  satisfaction  ;  but  when  I  looked  around  upon  the 
people,  I  had  the  impression  that  they  were  generally  in  the 
same  state  of  darkness  and  legality  in  which  I  had  lived  so 
long.  As  good  Mrs.  Tyler,  who  I  doubt  not  had  a  tender 
concern  for  my  salvation  and  prayed  often  for  me,  was  a 
Baptist,  she  naturally  wished  me  to  know  what  she  believed 
to  be  the  truth  on  that  subject  ;  and  she  put  into  my  hands 
GilFs  work  on  Baptism.  This  perplexed  me  not  a  little,  for 
I  had  strong  predilection  for  the  way  in  which  I  had  been 
educated,  especially  as  I  found  that  Flavel  was  a  Presbyteri- 
an. And  in  turning  over  the  large  volume  containing  his 
works  (the  two  being  bound  in  one)  I  met  with  a  controver- 
sial piece  on  this  very  subject,  written  against  Gary.  This  I 
read  with  avidity  and  with  full  conviction  that  his  arguments 
were  valid,  though  I  now  doubt  as  to  the  conclusiveness  of 
some  texts  on  which  he  mainly  rests  the  cause." 

At  the  close  of  the  year  he  returned  to  his  native  scenes, 
in  the  beautiful  and  romantic  county  of  Rockbridge. 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 
1789—1790. 

RETURN  HOME — GREAT  REVIVAL — VISIT  BEYOND  THE  MOUNTAINS — REVn  Al 
SCENES — STRUGGLES  OF  SOUL — SAMUEL  MORRIS — JOHN  BLAIR  SMITH-  - 
WILLIAM  GRAHAM — PROGRESS  OF  INWARD  WORK. 

THE  period  to  which  our  narrative  now  brings  us  was  re- 
markable, in  the  history  of  the  Southern  churches,  for  that 
wide-spread  religious  movement  known  as  the  Great  Revival. 
As  few  were  more  familiar  with  this  awakening  than  Dr. 
Alexander,  and  few  have  left  more  copious  notes  in  regard  to 
it,  we  feel  justified  in  giving  particulars  which  may  sometimes 
lead  us  to  deviate  from  the  strict  line  of  biography.  Many 
of  the  sketches  of  eminent  men  are  too  interesting  to  be 
omitted,  and  belong  to  the  characteristic  history  of  the  times. 
It  must  have  been  in  the  year  1789  that  the  young 
preceptor  returned  to  his  father's  house,  with  a  determination 
to  supply  the  defects  of  his  intellectual  training.  We  find 
him  therefore  retiring  for  days  to  the  woods,  and  devoting 
himself  to  Euclid  and  Horace.  But  the  year  was  to  be  sig- 
nalized by  higher  progress.  He  found  his  eldest  sister  much 
changed,  and  earnestly  engaged  in  seeking  acquaintance  with 
God.     A  startUng  death  among  the  connection  brought  him 


VISIT    TO    THE    REVIVAL.  4S 

into  new  terrors.  At  the  same  time  lie  was  thrown  intc 
confusion  by  Dr.  Chauncy's  defence  of  universal  salvation, 
which  was  officiously  put  into  his  hands  by  a  latitudinarian 
doctor.  There  was  at  this  time  no  church  in  Lexington ; 
but  he  speaks  of  a  funeral  discourse  which  so  affected  his  mind 
that  he  retired  into  a  grove  with  a  volume  of  Whitefield's 
sermons,  and  spent  the  afternoon  in  reading  and  prayer ; 
and  with  his  characteristic  attachment  to  localities,  he  adds 
that  this  grove  is  now  cut  down.  On  a  vacant  Sunday  he 
heard  one  of  Willison's  Sermons  on  the  Lord's  Supper  read 
to  the  congregation,  and  was  convinced  of  his  duty  in  regard 
to  this  ordinance,  while  he  knew  that  he  was  destitute  of 
preparation. 

A  rumour  had  come  into  the  quiet  settlement,  of  an 
extraordinary  religious  awakening,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Mountain,  as  the  great  dividing  Blue  Kidge  is  familiarly 
called.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Graham  prepared  to  visit  the  scene 
of  these  wonders,  and  proposed  to  take  young  Alexander 
among  other  companions.  All  such  journeys  were  of  course 
made  on  horseback,  and  amidst  mountain  scenes  and  in  a 
hospitable  country  were  sufficiently  exciting.  "On  our  jour- 
ney," says  he,  "  Mr.  Graham  was  very  open  and  communica- 
tive ;  at  first  on  philosophical  subjects,  in  which  he  took  great 
delight,  and  then  upon  religious  matters,  when  he  found  me 
interested  in  these.  We  discoursed  particularly  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Justification  by  Faith  and  Regeneration.  My  com- 
panion, Samuel  Wilson,  was  astonished  to  hear  me  converse 
on  topics,  concerning  which  when  together  at  the  Academy 
neither  of  us  had  formed  any  opinions.  Mr.  Graham  also 
4 


50  TALK   BY    THE   WAT. 

was  surprised  at  the  extent  and  accuracy  of  the  knowledge 
which  I  appeared  to  have  on  subjects  to  which  very  few 
young  men  in  our  part  of  the  country  had  turned  their 
thoughts.  The  fact  was,  I  purposely  turned  the  conversation 
to  those  interesting  truths  on  which  my  mind  had  been  so 
much  exercised,  merely  with  a  view  to  ascertain  whether  the. 
conclusions  to  which  I  had  come  after  much  thought  and 
inquiry  were  in  unison  with  his  views,  and  whether  he  agreed 
with  Flavel  and  the  other  authors  I  had  been  reading.  I  had 
no  thought  of  making  any  display  of  knowledge  ;  for  it  never 
entered  my  mind  that  I  had  acquired  any  stock  of  theologi- 
cal doctrine.  These  conversations,  however,  had  a  depressing 
influence  on  my  companion,  who  was  several  years  older  than 
myself,  and  who  was  conscious  that  he  knew  Httle  about 
matters  on  which  I  talked  so  freely." 

The  party  was  hastening  to  arrive  at  a  celebration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  at  a  place  called  Briery,  near  the  borders  of 
Charlotte  and  Prince  Edward  Counties.  On  their  way  they 
were  entertained  at  Liberty,  in  the  house  of  Michael  Graham, 
father  of  the  late  Professor  Samuel  L.  Graham,  of  the  Union 
Theological  Seminary.  The  whole  time  was  spent  in  hear- 
ing from  him  and  especially  from  his  pious  and  more  eloquent 
wife,  accounts  of  the  revival,  with  narratives  of  particular 
cases.  Here  they  heard  of  the  conversion  of  James  Turner, 
afterwards  known  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  masters  of 
natural  but  irresistible  oratory.  Turner  had  been  a  profli- 
gate and  a  ringleader  in  all  the  profane  and  violent  amuse- 
ments of  the  time.  But  now  he  was  holding  meetings  and 
exhorting.     Pursuing  their  expedition  they  came  to  the  house 


SAMUEL   MORRlRj.  5] 

of  Major  Trigg,  whose  aged  mother  was  one  of  the  Bev. 
Samuel  Davies's  communicantSj  a  woman  of  great  piety  and 
goodness.  She  spoke  of  Mr.  Davies  with  much  reverence  and 
affection.  She  said  to  Mr.  Graham,  ^'I  have  never  attained 
to  the  faith  of  assurance,  but  only  to  the  faith  of  reliance." 
He  answered  promptly,  "  If  you  know  you  have  the  faith  of 
reliance,  you  have  the  faith  of  assurance  also."  The  month 
was  August,  and  our  travellers  were  exposed  to  the  rays  of 
a  Virginian  sun,  withou-t  the  shelter  of  an  umbrella,  a  con- 
venience (our  journalist  notes)  which  had  not  then  come  into 
use.  But  they  were  joyfully  welcomed  to  the  house  of  Samuel 
Morris,  a  name  sacred  in  the  annals  of  American  Presbyterian- 
ism,  which  may  justly  detain  us  for  a  little. 

Mr.  Morris  had  removed  from  Hanover,  and  was  now 
residing  in  the  lower  end  of  Campbell  County.  It  was  he 
who  was  instrumental  in  the  revival  of  gospel  truth,  by  the 
reading  of  evangelical  books  in  the  Beading-House  of  Hanover 
County,  long  before  the  arrival  of  any  Presbyterian  missionary. 
"As  we  approached  through  the  fields,  we  saw  the  old 
gentleman  walking  homeward,  as  if  like  Isaac  he  had  been 
meditating."  "  Samuel  Morris  was  at  this  time  between 
seventy  and  eighty  years  of  age,  but  had  the  appearance  of 
firm  health.  But  for  his  being  bowed  with  age,  his  stature 
must  have  been  six  feet.  His  frame  was  large,  his  shouldens 
were  broad,  and  though  he  was  somewhat  bald,  the  thick  hair 
about  the  sides  of  the  head  was  not  gray.  He  had  one  son, 
and  a  number  of  daughters.  Mr.  Morris  gave  Mr.  Graham  a 
detailed  account  of  the  origin  and  progress  of  Presbyterianism 
in  Hanover,  before  Mr.  Davies  came  to  settle  there  ;  the 


52  SMITH    AND   GRAHAM. 

same,  I  presume,  wliich  he  put  into  writing  for  Mr.  Da- 
vies,  who  included  it  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Bellamy.  The  old 
gentleman  had  heard  of  the  revival  in  Prince  Edward, 
and  seemed  to  be  much  interested  in  it.  He  said  he  under- 
stood that  one  of  the  preachers,  Mr.  Lacy,  resembled  White- 
field." 

There  had  never  been  any  revival  in  the  Valley,  and  few 
of  the  Scottish  Presbyterians  there  resident  had  much  faith 
in  these  sudden  awakenings.  They  had  heard  of  a  work  of 
this  kind  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  under  the  labours  of  the 
Kev.  Joseph  Smith,  the  Kev.  John  McMillan,  and  others ; 
but  the  general  impression  was  that  these  rehgious  commo- 
tions would  pass  away  like  the  morning  cloud.  John  Lyle, 
an  eminently  vain,  ostentatious,  and  dissipated  young  man, 
who  had  avowed  infidel  opinions,  returned  from  Franklin, 
now  East  Tennessee,  with  a  mind  and  character  signally 
renewed,  and  this  served  to  awaken  new  expectations  of  the 
scenes  which  they  were  about  to  visit. 

As  the  travellers  approached  the  place  of  their  destina- 
tion, there  was  an  interesting  meeting  between  the  two 
great  preachers  of  Virginia.  Mr.  Graham  had  enjoyed  veiy 
little  friendly  intercourse  with  Mr.  Smith  for  a  number  of 
years  ;  indeed  a  certain  coolness  existed  between  them  in 
consequence  of  some  difterence  in  Presbytery,  which  was  not 
however  of  a  personal  nature.  But  now  Mr.  Smith  had 
specially  invited  Mr.  Grraham  to  come  over  and  see  the 
great  works  of  the  Lord.  The  Rockbridge  party  turned 
aside  from  the  road  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  people  re- 
turning from  the  Saturday's  service,  which  usually  preceded 


MB.    LEGRAND.  53 

the  communion.  "  While  we  were  here,"  says  the  narra- 
tive, ^^  a  novel  and  solemn  scene  presented  itself.  A  large 
company  of  young  people  on  horseback,  as  they  slowly 
passed  along,  were  engaged  in  singing  hymns.  Most  of  this 
company,  I  afterwards  learned,  were  young  converts,  who 
had  come  over  from  Caswell  County,  North  Carolina,  with 
the  Kev.  Nash  LeGrand.  They  had  travelled  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  to  attend  the  sacrament,  and  were  full  of  zeal  and 
affection.  The  music  resounded  through  the  woods  in  an 
agreeable  and  impressive  manner.  Mr.  LeGrand,  who  had 
been  remarkably  converted  during  the  revival,  having  just 
finished  his  college  course,  was,  with  very  little  preparation, 
except  an  ardent  zeal,  brought  into  the  ministry  by  Dr. 
Smith,  and  sent  into  North  Carolina,  where  a  powerful  influ- 
ence seemed  to  accompany  his  preaching.  After  nearly  all 
the  people  who  were  returning  had  passed,  came  Dr.  John 
Blair  Smith,  accompanied  by  several  of  the  elders  of  his 
church,  and  other  friends.  As  soon  as  he  espied  Mr.  Gra- 
ham, he  stopped  and  received  him  with  a  hearty  greeting." 

They  were  now  in  the  very  midst  of  revival  scenes. 
Among  the  persons,  then  in  youth,  whom  they  here  met, 
was  William  Hill,  now  the  venerable  Dr.  Hill  of  Win- 
chester. 

But  the  prominent  figure  in  every  group  was  undoubt- 
edly Dr.  John  B.  Smith.  It  is  unnecessary  to  adduce  many 
facts  concerning  a  man  so  well  known  in  our  history.  He 
was  a  son  of  the  Kev.  Dr.  Kobert  Smith,  of  Pequea,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  of  course  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Stan- 
hope Smith,  D.  D.,  of  Princeton.     Smith,  as  well  as  Gra- 


54  JOHN    BLAIR    SMITH. 

ham,  was  educated  at  the  college  of  New  Jersey,  and  wher 
his  brother  Samuel  founded  Ham|)den  Sidney  College, 
John  became  a  tutor  or  professor  in  the  same,  and  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover.  When  his  brother 
was  called  to  Princeton,  John  Blair  Smith  was  made  Presi- 
dent of  Hampden  Sidney. 

"  His  natural  disposition  was  full  of  vivacity,  his  temper 
quick,  and  his  action  rapid.  At  the  beginning  of  his  min- 
istry he  did  not  manifest  great  zeal,  and  his  preaching  was 
less  impressive  than  his  brother's ;  but  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  great  revival  in  1786  or  1787,  he  underwent  a 
remarkable  change  in  his  own  feelings  and  in  the  fervency 
of  his  preaching,  so  that  he  became  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful preachers  I  ever  heard.  In  person  he  was  about  the 
middle  size.  His  hair  was  uncommonly  black,  and  was 
divided  on  the  top,  and  fell  down  on  each  side  of  the  face. 
A  large  blue  eye  of  open  expression  was  so  piercing  that  it 
was  common  to  say  Dr.  Smith  looked  you  through.  His 
voice  had  an  unusual  solemnity,  and  always  affected  me, 
whatever  was  said.  Dr.  Smith  was  as  fearless  a  man  as 
ever  lived,  and  his  quickness  of  temper  sometimes  led  him  to 
act  rashly,  and  incur  enmity  which  might  have  been  avoided. 
As  a  companion,  he  was  most  agreeable.  His  treatment  of 
young  ministers  was  soothing  to  the  diffident,  and  his  man- 
ner of  introducing  them  to  strangers  was  peculiarly  agree- 
able to  their  feelings.  His  preaching  was  far  from  being 
uniform,  for  sometimes  he  fell  short  of  his  usual  force  from 
the  state  of  his  feelings.  His  sermons  were  always  well 
prepared,  but  nothing  was  written  out,  except  the  introduc- 


JOHN    BLAIR   SMITH.  55, 

tion,  which  he  commonly  prepared  with  great  care  ;  and  its 
only  fault  was  that  it  was  grandiloquent.  Within  the  leaves 
of  a  small  Bible  which  he  held  in  his  hand  he  had  a  small 
paper  containing  the  introduction,  all  the  divisions  and  sub- 
divisions, leading  thoughts,  and  cited  texts,  which  last  he 
always  read  out  of  the  Bible.  His  speaking  was  impetuous  ; 
after  going  on  deliberately  for  a  while,  he  would  suddenly 
grow  warm  and  be  carried  away  with  a  violence  of  feeling, 
which  was  commonly  communicated  to  his  hearers.  If 
opposed  to  him  in  sentiment  they  were  often  aroused  to  great 
"vvrath.  The  most  powerful  sermon  I  ever  heard  from  him 
was  in  defence  of  the  revival  as  a  work  of  God.  It  was 
directed  more  especially  against  the  Seceders,  who,  to  a  man, 
set  themselves  in  opposition  to  it.  It  was  delivered  in  the 
grove  near  New  Monmouth,  immediately  after  the  com- 
munion, to  the  largest  congregation  which  had  ever  been 
collected  in  that  county.  Many  of  the  leading  Seceders 
were  present.  He  told  them  of  the  opposition  of  their  sect 
to  Whitefield,  and  to  the  revival  at  Cambuslang.  Next 
day  I  heard  one  of  them  say  that  if  ever  any  man  was  pos- 
sessed of  a  devil  in  modern  times,  it  was  John  Blair  Smith 
when  he  delivered  that  sermon.  He  was  eminently  discrim- 
inating and  perspicacious  ;  but  if  he  failed  to  see  through  a 
difficulty  at  the  first  glance,  he  commonly  failed  to  do  so  by 
any  further  attempt.  He  was  perhaps  censorious  in  his 
judgment  of  professors  who  discovered  any  lukewarmness, 
and  would  often  declare  to  his  friends  of  such  and  such  per- 
sons, that  they  did  not  possess  a  spark  of  religion.  No  man 
in  Virginia  was  so  much  admired  as  a  preacher ;  but  after 


56  REVIVAL   MEETINGS. 

his  removal  to  Philadelj^hia,  where  he  bestowed  more  care 
on  accuracy,  he  lost  much  of  that  impressive  manner,  w^hich 
carried  away  and  captivated  his  hearers  during  the  revival." 

On  arriving  at  the  neighbourhood  of  Little  Koanoke 
Bridge,  the  company  addressed  themselves  to  preparation  for 
the  approaching  solemnities.  There  were  strangers  from  every 
quarter,  including  fifty  from  Carolina.  Some  of  them  were 
newly  converted  young  men,  who  spoke  with  warmth  and 
freedom  of  their  late  worldliness  or  even  infidelity,  and  their 
present  faith  and  joy.  "  The  meeting  was  very  much  crowded. 
Here  (says  the  record)  I  first  got  a  fair  sight  of  Dr.  John 
Blair  Smith.  His  appearance  was  more  solemn  than  that 
of  any  one  I  had  ever  seen,  and  caused  a  feeling  of  awe  to 
come  over  me.  As  Mr.  Graham  was  exhausted  by  riding  in 
the  heat.  Dr.  Smith  called  on  a  very  young  man,  Mr.  C, 
to  pray.  Next  he  called  on  William  Hill  to  ^Khort.  This 
astonished  me.  How  a  person  so  young  should  have  the 
courage  and  ability  to  speak  in  public  and  before  such  an 
audience,  I  could  not  conceive  ;  but  he  delivered  a  warm  and 
pungent  address,  on  the  Barren  Fig  Tree,  which  afiected  my 
feelings  very  much.  Then,  after  prayer,  Dr.  Smith  himself 
addressed  a  powerful  and  solemn  discourse  to  the  company. 

"  My  mind  was  considerably  excited  by  what  I  saw  and 
heard  on  the  Saturday  evening.  The  question  of  professing 
my  faith  returned  upon  me  with  force.  Having  never  spoken 
freely  to  any  one  of  my  own  religious  exercises,  I  felt  great 
backwardness  to  open  the  subject,  and  indeed  I  had  had  no 
opportunity  of  conversing  with  my  pastor.  On  the  morning 
of  the  Sabbath  the  roads  were  covered  with  multitudes  flock- 


THE   SACRAMENT  57 

ing  to  the  place  of  worship,  at  Briery.  The  house  was  not 
sufficient  to  hold  half  the  people  ;  an  arbour  had  been  pre- 
pared, with  a  stand  for  the  preachers,  and  the  intention  was 
to  have  the  sacrament  as  well  as  the  sermon  out  of  doors. 
Dr.  Smith  preached  the  Action  Sermon,  as  it  was  called  in 
Scottish  phrase.  The  text  was  Psalm  li.  17,  ^  The  sacrifices 
of  God  are  a  broken  spirit  :  a  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  0 
God,  thou  wilt  not  despise.'  It  was  especially  intended  to 
comfort  diffident  and  discouraged  believers.  The  evidences  of 
piety  which  he  laid  down  were  such  as  I  could  for  the  most 
part  find  in  myself;  so  that  I  felt  much  regret  that  I  had 
not  taken  measures  to  partake  of  the  ordinance.  Though  the 
morning  was  clear,  the  appearances  of  rain  were  threatening  ; 
after  consultation  it  was  therefore  determined  to  administer 
the  sacrament  within  the  house.  Notice  was  given  that  while 
arrangements  were  making,  Mr.  LeGrand  would  preach  in 
the  grove  behind  the  church.  I  resorted  to  the  place,  where 
I  first  had  a  sight  of  this  successful  young  minister.  At  this 
time  there  was  much  that  was  striking  in  his  aspect.  He 
was  tall,  but  rather  bending  in  his  attitude,  and  his  counte- 
nance was  solemn  and  benignant,  with  a  shade  of  melancholy. 
He  stood  upon  a  horse-block,  and  preached  a  discourse  which, 
though  inaccurate  and  incoherent,  was  delivered  with  pecu- 
liarities of  voice  that  made  their  way  to  the  feelings.  After 
the  communicants  had  retired,  the  Kev.  Samuel  Houston 
preached  to  the  non-communicants  under  the  arbour.  Aftei 
hearing  Mr.  Houston,  whose  sermon  was  interrupted  by  the 
rain,  I  pressed  with  much  difficulty  into  the  house,  where 
Mr.  Graham  was  preaching.  Little  did  I  think,  that  I  should 


58  HAMPDEN    SIDNEY. 

ever  preach  in  that  pulpit,  and  become  the  pastor  of  that 
people  !  There  was  on  the  face  of  the  assembly  an  appear- 
ance of  tender  and  earnest  solemnity.  Never  had  I  heard 
my  pastor  speak  with  such  warmth  and  pathos  as  on  this 
occasion.  His  text  was  Isaiah  xl.  1,  *  Comfort  ye,  comfort 
ye  my  people,'  etc.  The  part  which  I  heard  was  the  address 
to  the  impenitent,  in  which  under  a  series  of  particulars 
he  showed  them  their  comfortless  state.  The  good  people 
of  Briery  were  entranced.  They  had  expected  a  very  cold 
and  dry  discourse.  Dr.  Smith  afterwards  said  to  me  of  this 
sermon,  that  it  was  the  best  he  had  ever  heard,  except  one  ; 
and  the  one  excepted  was  preached  during  the  revival  by  the 
Rev.  James  Mitchell,  who  was  never  reckoned  a  great 
preacher.  Every  mouth  was  filled  with  expressions  of  admi- 
ration, and  from  this  time,  Mr.  Graham  was  considered  one 
of  the  ablest  preachers  in  the  land." 

"  On  Monday  after  the  Communion,  we  went  to  Hampden 
Sidney,  in  the  county  of  Prince  Edward,  where  Mr.  Lyle, 
already  named,  showed  us  much  attention  and  introduced 
us  to  the  Rev.  Drury  Lacy,  who  then  as  Vice-President  had 
charge  of  the  institution,  in  consequence  of  Dr.  Smith's 
having  resigned  the  presidentship.  I  was  much  pleased  with 
the  free  and  candid  manners  and  conversation  of  Mr.  Lacy. 
By  the  early  loss  of  his  left  hand,  from  the  bursting  of  a  gun 
when  a  boy,  Mr.  Lacy  had  been  led  to  fit  himself  for  teaching 
an  English  school.  In  this  calling  he  early  acquired  a  high 
reputation,  especially  as  he  wrote  an  incomparably  beautiful 
hand.  As  he  taught  for  some  time  in  Cumberland,  where 
Dr.  Smith  preached  on  the  alternate   Sabbaths,  he  received 


MR.    LACY.  59 

an  invitation  to  come  and  learn  at  the  College.  Havin» 
about  that  time  experienced  a  change  of  heart,  he  joyfully 
accepted  the  offer,  immediately  began  the  study  of  Latin 
rapidly  passed  through  the  curriculum  and  was  licensed 
to  preach  as  a  probationer.  Having  a  voice  which  was  loud 
and  clear,  and  a  very  distinct  articulation,  with  a  warm 
heart,  he  was  from  the  first  very  popular  and  effective  as  a 
preacher.  And  as  the  great  revival  in  the  vicinity  soon 
commenced,  Mr.  Lacy  was  much  employed  in  various  places, 
but  being  fond  of  teaching  continued  his  residence  at  the 
College.  By  many,  his  preaching  during  the  revival  was 
preferred  even  to  that  of  Dr.  Smith  ;  it  was  plain  and  ex- 
perimental, and  there  were  manifest  seals  to  his  ministry. 
Though  deficient  in  accuracy  he  was  unusually  acceptable 
abroad,  and  at  presbyteries  and  synods,  when  the  assemblies 
were  large  and  the  services  in  the  open  air,  he  was  commonly 
chosen  for  the  work,  as  his  penetrating  tones  could  reach  the 
outskirts  of  any  congregation.  He  was  a  man  of  great  hu- 
mility, remarkably  exempt  from  envy,  of  a  sociable  and 
friendly  temper,  and  greatly  esteemed  and  beloved  by  his 
brethren.  Having  suftered  long  with  a  calculous  afiection, 
he  resorted  to  the  surgical  aid  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Physick 
of  Philadelphia  ;  but  a  fever  ensued,  and  in  a  few  days  he 
expired.  I  had  at  his  request  taken  my  passage  in  the  stage- 
coach for  Philadelphia  to  see  him  ;  but  before  the  hour  of 
departure  I  received  a  note  from  his  kind  host  Mr.  Robert 
Ralston,  advising  me  not  to  come,  lest  it  should  agitate  him 
too  much,  especially  as  I  had  received  from  Dr.  Hoge  the 
sad  intelligence  that    Mrs.  Lacy,  whom  he  left    in  healthy 


60  DOUBTS    AND    FEARS. 

had  died  of  the  putrid  fever.  He  left  the  world  in  igno- 
rance of  this  bereavement,  to  enjoy  the  surprise  of  meeting 
his  beloved  wife  in  the  invisible  state.  His  remains  lie  in 
the  cemetery  of  the  Arch  Street  Church.  Two  of  his  sons, 
and  three  of  his  grandsons  are  in  the  ministry." 

During  this  excursion,  Mr.  Alexander  was  taken  by  Mr. 
Graham  to  visit  the  celebrated  orator,  Patrick  Henry  ;  to 
whose  eloquence  he  had  several  opportunities  of  li^'tening,  at 
a  later  period.  Mr.  Graham  remained  more  than  a  week  in 
Prince  Edward,  and  preached  several  times  at  private  houses. 
His  sermons  were  intended  to  discriminate  between  what  was 
essential  and  what  was  incidental  in  religious  experience. 
He  was  careful  to  show  that  true  religion  consisted  more  in 
the  strength  of  the  habitual  purpose  of  soul,  than  in  high 
affections.  "  I  understood  his  discourses,"  it  is  here  added, 
"  and  thought  I  could  find  the  evidences  of  vital  piety,  as 
proposed  by  him,  in  myself  But  hearing  much  of  sudden 
conversions,  and  of  persons  being  convulsed  with  severe  con- 
viction, I  concluded  that  the  hopes  which  I  entertained  must 
be  fallacious,  and  that  they  prevented  my  being  truly  con- 
vinced of  sin.  This  occasioned  great  perplexity,  and  I  felt  a 
strong  desire  to  make  my  case  known  to  Dr.  Smith.  As  we 
were  to  journey  together  to  Bedford,  I  hoped  for  an  opportu- 
nity to  have  his  judgment.  Mr.  Graham  had  hitherto  said 
nothing  to  me  about  my  personal  feelings  ;  but  when  we 
returned  to  Charlotte,  at  our  lodging  at  old  Mrs.  Morton's  at 
Little  Roanoke  Bridge,  he  took  me  out  and  conversed  with 
me.  I  freely  related  my  difficulties,  but  he  made  little  or 
no  reply.     Dr.  Smith  was  to  preach  the  funeral  sermon  of 


INCREASING   CONFLICT.  61 

an  unfortiiriato  young  woman,  who  had  been  killed  by  falling 
from  a  horse  as  she  was  returning  from  an  entertainment. 
To  this  solemnity  I  looked  forward,  as  one  well  suited  tc 
produce  conviction.  On  the  way  I  fell  into  company  with 
Susan  Watkins,"  afterwards  by  a  second  marriage  the  wife  of 
the  Eev.  Dr.  Hoge,  "  and  found  her  remarkably  communica- 
tive, so  that  I  could  open  my  mind  to  her  with  less  restraint 
than  to  any  one  I  had  met.  She  told  me  her  own  experience 
and  encouraged  and  exhorted  me  to  go  forward  in  seeking 
religion.  My  expectations  of  being  deeply  affected  by  Dr. 
Smith's  sermon  on  this  sorrowful  occasion  were  utterly  disap- 
pointed. I  was  not  only  conscious  of  no  suitable  emotion, 
but  my  thoughts  were  to  an  uncommon  degree  wandering. 
I  however  had  the  opportunity  of  conversing  with  Dr.  Smith. 
I  related  to  him  my  various  exercises,  but  added  that  I  had 
still  fallen  into  sin  after  these  exercises  ;  upon  which  he  said, 
in  his  decided,  peremptory  way,  that  then  they  were  certain- 
ly not  of  the  nature  of  true  religion,  which  always  destroys 
the  power  and  dominion  of  sin  ;  and  he  proceeded  to  account 
for  the  joy  I  had  experienced,  on  other  principles.  From 
this  time  I  abandoned  all  persuasion  that  I  had  experienced 
regenerating  grace.  My  desire  now  was  to  be  brought  under 
such  alarming  convictions  of  sin,  as  I  had  heard  of  in  the 
case  of  others.  But  that  evening,  which  I  spent  in  the  forest, 
I  was  greatly  distressed  on  account  of  my  exceeding  hardness 
of  heart.  I  rolled  on  the  ground  in  anguish  of  spirit,  be- 
wailing my  insensibility.  We  lodged  at  the  house  of  a  pious 
man,  a  nephew  of  Samuel  Morris,  and  the  next  day  went  on 
to  Bedford. 


62  SOLITUDE    AND    CONTRITION. 

"  When  we  arrived  at  Libei  ty,  we  met  nearly  thirty  of 
our  friends  from  Rockbridge  who  had  come  over  to  the 
sacrament,  among  whom  was  my  eldest  sister.  They  seemed 
already  under  a  solemn  impression,  even  before  attending 
any  services.  The  preaching  was  continued  several  days  at 
the  Peaks  Meeting-House,  and  the  communion  was  on  the 
Sabbath.  It  was  a  time  of  great  emotion,  and  none  seemed 
more  affected  than  the  Rockbridge  company. 

"  While  I  was  at  Liberty  I  experienced  exercises  of  mind 
which  were  remarkable.  The  place  was  a  little  out  of  the 
town  in  a  thicket,  at  the  edge  of  a  wood.  I  had  in  the 
morning  walked  out  into  this  grove,  and  while  thus  engaged 
in  meditation  and  prayer,  I  was  suddenly  visited  with  such 
a  melting  of  heart  as  I  never  had  before  or  *  since.  Under  a 
lively  sense  of  Divine  goodness  my  eyes  became  a  fountain  of 
tears.  The  most  prominent  feelings  were  a  sense  of  ingrati- 
tude for  the  innumerable  mercies  which  had  been  richly  and 
constantly  showered  upon  me.  When  I  now  reflect  upon 
it,  it  seems  like  a  sudden  change  in  the  animal  system,  and 
a  relief  arising  from  a  vent  found  for  tears.  The  immediate 
result  was  a  sweet  composure  of  spirit.  I  cannot  remember 
that  I  had  any  thought  of  Christ,  or  much  contrition  for  my 
sins  ;  and  this  melting  frame,  the  counterpart  of  which  1 
never  experienced,  led  to  no  permanent  change  in  my  con- 
dition ;  in  a  few  hours  I  felt  much  as  before  it  occurred.'' 

The  progress  of  this  mental  conflict  may  be  noted  in  the 
following  record,  concerning  a  later  day,  in  the  same  journey. 
"  The  former  part  of  the  day  I  spent  in  the  woods,  rumina- 
ting  on  my  sad  condition  and  future  prospects.     Thft  traio 


DEPARTURE   OF   HOPE.  63 

of  my  thought  was,  that  I  had  enjoyed  the  very  hest  means 
and  opportunities  of  salvation,  but  these  had  produced  no  good 
effect ;  that  I  wis  now  goinfg  where  all  were  careless  of  these 
things,  and  where  the  means  would  be  far  less  favourable. 
The  conclusion  forced  itself  upon  me  that  I  should  certainly 
be  lost  for  ever.  My  mind  was  calm  and  my  thoughts  de- 
liberate, and  when  I  came  to  this  result  I  was  nowise  agi- 
tated, but  began  to  contemplate  the  justice  of  God  in  my 
condemnation.  It  was  evident  to  me  that  as  a  righteous 
Governor  he  could  not  do  otherwise  than  condemn  me  to 
hell ;  and  I  could  not  but  approve  the  sentence  of  my  own 
condemnation.  Yet  I  felt  that  I  could  never  entertain  any 
hard  thoughts  of  God,  even  when  suffering  under  his  heavy 
displeasm-e.  These  views  were  so  far  from  increasing  my 
distress,  that  I  experienced  a  degree  of  composure  which  I 
nad  not  had  for  a  long  time.  The  awful  question  in  regard 
to  my  destiny  appeared  now  to  be  settled,  and  I  felt  no  need 
of  prayer  or  further  waiting  on  God,  I  returned  to  the 
house,  and  there  found  the  Eev.  James  Mitchell,  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  that  county.  He  had  never  been 
introduced  to  me,  but  invited  me  into  an  adjoining  room. 
He  then  began  to  enumerate  the  high  privileges  which  I  had 
enjoyed  in  my  visit  to  Prince  Edward,  and  said  he  hoped  I 
had  received  abiding  impressions  from  the  many  powerful 
sermons  which  I  had  heard,  and  from  seeing  so  many  young 
people  engaged  in  religion  and  forsaking  all  for  Christ.  I 
answered  dehberately,  that  what  he  had  remarked  about  my 
privileges  was  very  true  ;  but  that  however  great  the  means, 
they  had  proved  of  no  avail  to  me ;    I  had  not   yet  in  any 


64  RENEWED    PEACE. 

degree  experienced  those  convictions  without  which  I  could 
not  expect  to  be  saved,  and  that  being  now  about  to  leave 
all  these  means,  I  had  that  day  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
I  should  certainly  be  lost  ;  that  I  knew  it  would  be  just,  and 
that  I  had  no  one  to  blame  but  myself.  To  which  he  an- 
swered, that  no  certain  degree  of  conviction  was  prescribed  ; 
that  the  only  purpose  which  conviction  could  answer  was  to 
show  us  our  need  of  Christ,  ^  and  this,'  added  he,  '  you  have/ 
He  then  represented  Christ  as  an  Advocate  before  the  throne 
of  God,  ready  to  undertake  my  cause,  and  able  to  save  to 
the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by  him.  A  new  view 
opened  before  me  at  this  moment.  I  did  feel  that  I  needed 
a  Saviour,  and  I  knew  that  Christ  as  an  Advocate  was  able 
to  save  me.  This  mere  probability  of  salvation,  after  having 
given  up  all  hope,  was  like  the  dawn  of  morning  upon  a  dark 
Bight ;  it  was  like  life  from  the  dead.  From  that  instant  I 
entertained  a  joyful  hope  that  I  should  yet  be  saved.  These 
new  views  affected  me  exceedingly.  I  was  like  a  man  con- 
demned to  die,  who  is  unexpectedly  informed  that  there  is 
a  friend  who  can  obtain  a  reprieve.  I  was  unable  to  say 
any  thing.     My  tears  prevented  utterance." 

In  continuing  the  journey,  "  I  rode  along  alone,"  says  he, 
"  and  my  mind  was  in  a  state  of  delightful  repose  ;  cheering 
promises  came  into  my  mind,  as  though  they  dropped  from 
heaven.  When  Mr.  Mitchell  commenced  the  prayer-meet- 
ing, at  a  town  on  the  way,  he  called  upon  my  companion, 
Samuel  Wilson,  to  pray.  After  a  word  or  two  of  exhortation, 
and  a  hymn,  I  was  in  like  manner  called  upon,  and  did  not 
hesitate  to  make  the  attempt,  although  in  any  other  state 


HOME.  65 

of  mind  in  which  I  had  ever  been,  I  should  as  soon  have 
agreed  to  rise  and  preach  extempore.  I  was  astonished  at 
myself,  and  though  altogether  unaccustomed  to  pray,  I  was 
delivered  from  the  fear  of  man,  and  was  enabled  to  get 
through  without  serious  obstruction.  This  manner  of  treat- 
ing young  persons  under  religious  impressions,  I  have  always 
disapproved.  It  was  intended  to  bring  us  to  take  a  decided 
part,  before  we  returned  home  ;  and  it  no  doubt  had  the 
effect  of  causing  us  to  feel  that  we  were  now  committed. 
The  next  morning  we  set  out  for  Lexington,  about  thirty  in 
number,  and  sang  revival  hymns  as  we  rode  along.  On  the 
top  of  the  Blue  Ridge  we  halted  at  a  spring  to  partake  of  a 
viaticum,  which  some  of  the  company  had  been  provident 
enough  to  bring  along.  Mr.  LeGrand  appeared  to  be  very 
happy,  and  talked  freely  with  us  all,  exhorting  us  to  perse- 
vere boldly  in  the  cause  of  Christ  when  we  reached  home." 


CHAPTEK  FOURTH. 

1789—1790 

EEVIVAL  m  ROCKBRIDGE — EXTRAORDINARY  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  FORESl — 
CHARACTER  OF  THE  WORK  OF  GRACE— PRINCETON  COLLEGE ILLNESS- 
JOURNEYING ^RECOVERY ^PROGRESS. 

THERE  is  something  of  amiable  youthful  simplicity  in 
the  confidence  with  which  the  returning  comj^any  ex- 
pected an  immediate  manifestation  of  awakening  grace  on 
their  arrival  at  Lexington.  Notice  was  duly  given  of  a 
meeting  for  prayer,  to  be  held  on  the  evening  after  their 
return.  The  service  was  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Le- 
Grand.  We  resume  the  narrative  :  "  I  had  the  trial  of 
being  called  upon  to  pray,  in  the  presence  of  aU  my  young 
acquaintances.  My  timidity,  however,  was  in  a  manner 
gone.  I  now  calculated  fully  on  a  revival  in  Lexington. 
Before  the  meeting  I  conversed  privately  with  some  of  my 
associates,  and  found  them  favourably  disposed.  The  news 
of  our  arrival,  and  of  the  spirit  in  which  we  had  returned, 
spread  rapidly  through  the  country  around.  The  next  day 
the  public  service  was  at  New  Monmouth  church.  Mr.  Le- 
Grand  preached  in  the  morning  on  Isaiah  xlv.  22,  'Look 


AWAKENING    IN   LEXINGTON.  67 

unto  me  and  be  ye  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth.'  After 
which  Mr.  Graham  gave  a  narrative  of  all  that  he  had  seen 
and  heard  in  Prince  Edward  and  Bedford,  and  then  addressed 
the  great  congregation  in  the  most  penetrating  and  pathetic 
manner,  the  tears  meanwhile  streaming  from  his  eyes.  The 
assembly  was  deeply  and  solemnly  moved.  Multitudes  went 
weeping  from  the  house.  Another  meeting  was  appointed 
for  the  evening,  in  the  town,  in  a  large  room  which  had 
been  used  for  dancing.  Here  the  solemnity  was  greater,  if 
possible,  than  at  the  church.  Many  remained  to  converse 
with  the  ministers,  and  a  person  of  the  most  sedate  habits 
and  moral  life  cried  out  in  an  agony,  ^  What  must  I  do  to 
be  riaved  ! '  Every  thing  went  on  prosperously,  and  I  was  in 
expectation  that  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  people  would  be 
awakened.  Several  of  my  companions,  educated  young  men, 
came  forward  and  professed  their  determination  to  be  on  the 
Lord's  side.  I  had  not  heard  a  whisper  of  opposition,  but 
next  morning  my  uncle,  Andrew  Reid,  who  had  not  been  at 
any  of  th#  meetings,  brought  to  our  house  a  volume  of 
Locke's  Essay,  with  the  page  turned  down  at  the  chapter  on 
Enthusiasm.  My  sister,  to  whom  he  spoke  with  some 
severity,  was  surprised  and  confounded,  and  grew  faint  with 
agitation,  so  that  she  was  constrained  to  go  to  her  couch. 
It  struck  me  as  amazing  that  any  man  of  sense  could  think 
us  in  danger  of  enthusiasm.  We  soon  found  that  there 
were  many  enemies  of  our  proceedings,  and  that  some  of  the 
young  men  ridiculed  the  whole  affair.  But  the  work  went 
on,  and  we  were  gratified  to  find  that  cases  of  awakening 
occurred  at  almost  every  meeting,  and  the  religious  concern 


68  SELF-EXAMINATION. 

continued  to  diffuse  itself  through  the  country.  These  wer^ 
halcyon  days  for  the  church  ;  and  as  for  myself,  though  I 
did  not  regard  myself  as  converted,  I  was  so  occupied  ^vith 
the  cases  of  others,  and  with  the  opposition,  that  for  a  while 
I  almost  foigot  my  own  case. 

"  Mr.  LeGrand  remained  with  us  a  week  or  two.  His 
natural  disposition  was  very  uneven.  He  was  either  exceed- 
ingly lively,  or  in  an  awful  gloom,  in  which  he  continually 
expressed  a  desire  to  die.  At  the  time  of  his  awakening, 
in  Cumherland,  he  lay,  I  have  heen  told,  for  hours  in  con- 
vulsions, produced  by  convictions,  which  were  followed,  it  is 
thought,  by  believing  views  of  the  Saviour.  Great  success 
attended  his  earliest  labours.  His  countenance,  though 
youthful,  was  marked  with  sadness,  and  his  voice  had  a 
mellowness  and  tenderness  which  I  have  never  heard  sur- 
passed. 

"  Being  much  dissatisfied  with  my  state  of  mind,  and 
now  sensible  of  the  corruption  of  my  heart,  I  resolved  to 
enter  on  a  new  course,  and  determined  to  give  iqp  aU  read- 
ing except  the  Bible,  and  to  devote  myself  entirely  to  prayer, 
fasting,  and  the  Scriptures,  until  I  should  arrive  at  greater 
hope.  My  life  was  spent  almost  entirely  in  religious  com- 
pany, but  our  conversation  often  degenerated  into  levity, 
which  was  succeeded  by  compunction.  Telling  over  our 
private  exercises  was  carried  to  an  undue  length,  and  in- 
stead of  tending  to  edification,  was  often  injurious.  But 
reserve  on  this  subject  was  considered  a  bad  sign ;  and  on 
meeting,  the  first  inquiry  after  salutation  was  concerning  the 
state  of  each  other's  souls. 


RELAPSE   INTO   DOUBT.  69 

"  A  young  woman  of  my  acquaintance,  who,  with  others^ 
had  gone  over  to  Bedford,  appeared  more  solemnly  impressed 
than  most  of  the  company.  All  believed  that  if  any  one 
had  experienced  divine  renewal,  it  was  Mary  Hanna.  One 
afternoon,  while  reading  a  sermon  of  Tennent's,  on  the  need 
of  a  legal  work  preparatory  to  conversion,  she  was  seized 
with  such  apprehensions  of  her  danger,  that  she  began  to 
tremble,  and  in  attempting  to  reach  the  house,  which  was 
distant  only  a  few  steps,  fell  prostrate,  and  was  taken  up 
in  a  state  of  terrible  convulsion.  The  news  quickly  spread, 
and  in  a  short  time  most  of  the  serious  young  people 
in  the  town  were  present.  I  mention  this  for  the  purpose 
of  adding  that  I  was  at  once  struck  with  the  conviction  that 
I  had  received  an  irreparable  injury  from  the  clergyman 
who  had  persuaded  me  that  no  such  conviction  as  this  was 
necessary.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  admit  no  hope  until 
I  should  have  the  like  experience.  I  read  all  the  religious 
narratives  I  could  procure,  and  laboured  much  to  put  myself 
into  the  state  in  which  they  described  themselves  to  have 
been,  before  enjoying  hope.  But  all  these  efforts  and  desires 
proved  abortive,  and  I  began  to  see  much  more  of  the  wick- 
edness of  my  own  heart  than  ever  before.  I  was  distressed 
and  discouraged,  and  convinced  that  I  had  placed  too  much 
dependence  on  mere  means,  and  on  my  own  efforts.  I 
therefore  determined  to  give  myself  incessantly  to  prayer 
until  I  found  mercy,  or  perished  in  the  pursuit. 

"  This  resolution  was  formed  on  a  Sunday  evening.  The 
next  morning  I  took  my  Bible  and  walked  several  miles  into 
the  dense  wood  of  the  Bushy  Hills,  which  were  then  wholly 


70  EXTRAORDINARY   JOYS. 

uncultivated.  Finding  a  place  that  pleased  me,  at  the  foot 
of  a  projecting  rock,  in  a  dark  valley,  I  hegan  with  great 
earnestness  the  course  which  I  had  prescribed  to  myself. 
I  prayed,  and  then  read  in  the  Bible,  prayed  and  read, 
prayed  and  read,  until  my  strength  was  exhausted  ;  for  I 
had  taken  no  nourishment  that  day.  But  the  more  I  strove 
the  harder  my  heart  became,  and  the  more  barren  was  my 
mind  of  every  serious  or  tender  feeling.  I  tasted  then  some 
of  the  bitterness  of  despair.  It  seemed  to  be  my  last  re- 
source, and  now  this  had  utterly  failed.  I  was  about  to  desist 
from  the  endeavour,  when  the  thought  occurred  to  me,  that 
though  I  was  helpless,  and  my  case  was  nearly  desperate, 
yet  it  would  be  well  to  cry  to  God  to  help  me  in  this 
extremity.  I  knelt  upon  the  ground,  and  had  poured  out 
perhaps  a  single  petition,  or  rather  broken  cry  for  help,  when, 
in  a  moment,  I  had  such  a  view  of  a  crucified  Saviour,  as  is 
without  a  parallel  in  my  experience.  The  whole  plan  of 
grace  appeared  as  clear  as  day.  I  was  persuaded  that  God 
was  willing  to  accept  me,  just  as  I  was,  and  convinced  that 
I  had  never  before  understood  the  freeness  of  salvation,  but 
had  always  been  striving  to  bring  some  price  in  my  hand,  or 
to  prepare  myself  for  receiving  Christ.  Now  I  discovered 
that  I  could  receive  him  in  all  his  offices  at  that  very  mo- 
ment, which  I  was  sure  at-  the  time  I  did.  I  felt  truly  a 
joy  which  was  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  How  long 
this  delightful  frame  continued  I  cannot  tell.  But  when  my 
affections  had  a  little  subsided  I  opened  my  Bible,  and 
alighted  on  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  chapters  of  John. 
The  sacred  page  appeared  to  be  illuminated  ;   the  truths 


FIRST    COMMUNION.  71 

were  new,  as  if  I  had  never  read  them  before  ;  and  I  thought 
it  would  be  always  thus.  Having  often  thought  of  engaging 
in  a  written  covenant  with  God,  but  having  never  before 
found  a  freedom  to  do  so,  I  now  felt  no  hesitation,  and 
having  writing  materials  in  my  pocket,  I  sat  down  and 
penned  it  exactly  from  my  feelings,  and  solemnly  signed  it 
as  in  the  presence  of  God.* 

"  I  expected  now  to  feel  uniformly  different  from  what 
had  preceded,  and  to  be  always  in  lively  emotion,  thinking 
my  troubles  all  at  an  end.  As  I  had  been  much  distressed 
by  discovering  the  sins  of  my  heart,  and  as  I  read  in  Scrip- 
ture that  faith  works  purification,  I  resolved  to  make  this 
the  test.  At  the  time,  indeed,  I  had  no  doubt  as  to  the  sin- 
cerity of  my  faith  ;  and  in  the  paper  of  self-dedication 
above-mentioned  I  expressed  the  assurance  that  if  I  had 
never  before  received  Christ  I  did  then  and  there  receive 
him.  For  several  days  my  mind  was  serene.  But  before  a 
week  had  elapsed,  darkness  began  to  gather  over  me  again. 
Inbred  corruption  began  to  stir.  In  a  word,  I  fell  back  into 
the  same  state  of  darkness  and  conflict  as  before." 

Shortly  after  this,  in  the  autumn  of  1789,  he  made  a 
profession  of  his  faith.  But  he  describes  his  first  approach 
to  the  Lord's  Table  as  destitute  of  high  comforts.  His 
thoughts  were  much  distracted,  and  his  soul  was  harassed 
with  awful  fear  lest  he  should  eat  and  drink  damnation  to 
himself  And  after  receiving,  this  dreadful  suspicion  haunted 
him,  until  he  felt  convinced  that  this  enormous  sin  had  been 

*  This  document  is  in  our  possession. 


72  ESTIMATE    OF    EXPERIENCE. 

committed.  But  at  his  second  communion,  which  was  at 
Now  Monmouth,  he  enjoyed  a  dehghtful  day  of  clear 
assurance.  "The  sermon  by  Mr.  Graham,"  says  he  in  a 
very  late  record,  "  was  on  the  text,  ^  The  Sun  of  Kighteous- 
ness  shall  arise,'  etc.  The  preacher  compared  the  beginnings 
of  true  religion  in  the  soul  to  the  rising  of  the  sun  ;  some- 
times with  a  sudden  and  immediate  clearness,  sometimes 
under  clouds,  which  are  afterwards  dispersed.  As  he  went 
on,  it  occurred  to  me  with  great  distinctness,  that  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  began  to  rise  on  me,  though  under  a  cloud. 
When  conversing  wdth  Mr.  Mitchell  in  Bedford,  I  was 
relieved  from  despair  by  the  persuasion  that  Christ  w\as  able 
to  save  even  me.  This  shows  how  seldom  believers  can  de- 
signate with  exactness  the  time  of  their  renewal.  Now,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven,  I  am  of  opinion,  that  my  regenera- 
tion took  place  while  I  resided  at  General  Posey's,  in  the 
year  1788." 

It  seemed  proper  to  dwell  at  some  length  on  the  traits 
of  this  remarkable  and  extensive  religious  awakening,  because 
it  shows  how  famiUar  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  with 
the  good  and  the  evil  of  such  excitements  ;  especially  as  in  a 
later  period  of  his  life,  when  he  felt  constrained  to  unite 
with  other  wise  men  in  protesting  against  enthusiastic  ex- 
cesses and  false  doctrine,  he  was  frequently  treated  by 
opponents  as  a  rigid  book-divine,  who  had  growTi  up  in  cold 
forms,  without  acquaintance  with  great  outpourings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  How  far  this  was  from  the  true  state  of  the 
facts,  will  have  been  sufficiently  apparent  in  the  preceding 
extracts. 


DOCTRINES   OF    THE    REVIVAL.  M 

It  was  a  remarkable  peculiarity  of  this  great  popular 
reformation,  that  amidst  all  its  outbreaking  enthusiasm  and 
strange  animal  agitation,  it  was  not  carried  forward  by 
means  of  corrupt  doctrine.  Aberrations  from  the  truth  there 
doubtless  were  in  the  case  of  individuals,  and  even  bodies  of 
eiTorists  broke  away  on  one  side  and  the  other,  especially  in 
the  West  ;  but  all  the  preachers  whom  we  have  had  occasion 
to  name,  were  zealously  attached  to  the  sound  Noncon- 
formist theology  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Minor  points 
were  indeed  brought  into  question  among  the  active  minds 
of  inquirers,  stimulated  by  greatly  exalted  feeling ;  but  the 
fundamentals  of  reformation  truth  were  left  undisturbed. 
Most  of  those  in  the  Valley  who  professed  their  faith  main- 
tained their  constancy,  but  some  who  persevered  most  faith- 
fully were  not  the  most  prominent  at  the  beginning. 
"  Much  conversation  took  place  concerning  the  nature  of 
faith,  the  necessity  of  legal  conviction,  and  the  question 
whether  there  was  an  operation  on  the  soul  itself  prior  to 
all  spiritual  views,  or  whether  regeneration  was  effected  by 
the  introduction  of  truth  to  the  mind.  When  we  brought 
our  various  opinions  to  Mr.  Graham  for  his  decision,  we 
found  that  his  judgment  was  pecuhar.  He  maintained  that 
as  conversion  is  the  change  of  a  rational  agent,  it  must  be  a 
matter  of  conviction  and  choice  ;  and  that  it  was  absurd  to 
suppose  any  physical  operation  on  the  soul  itself  to  be  neces- 
sary or  even  conceivable.  '  This  opinion  therefore  became 
prevalent.  The  opposite,  supposed  to  be  that  of  many  called 
Hopkinsians,  was  that  no  change  takes  place  in  the  views  of 
the  understanding,  but  such  as  arises  from  a  change  in  the 


74  DOCTRINAL   QUESTIONS. 

feelings  of  the  heart.  But  some  of  us  were  not  satisfied 
with  either  of  these  explanations.  We  supposed  that  a  soul 
dead  in  sin  was  incapable  of  spiritual  views  and  feelings, 
until  made  partaker  of  spiritual  life  ;  that  this  principle  of 
life  was  imparted  in  regeneration  ;  so  that  the  natural  order 
of  exercises  was,  that  the  quickened  soul  entertained  new 
views,  which  were  accompanied  by  new  feelings  in  accordance 
with  the  truths  presented  to  the  mind.  This  opinion  I  then 
adopted  and  have  always  held.  The  Spirit  operates  on  the 
dead  soul,  communicating  the  principle  of  life.  The  Word 
holds  up  to  the  view  of  the  regenerated  soul  the  evil  of  sin 
which  leads  to  repentance,  and  shows  the  excellency  and 
suitableness  of  Christ  as  a  Saviour  in  all  his  offices,  and 
reveals  the  beauty  of  holiness. 

"  Among  other  practical  books,  Marshall  on  Sanctification 
came  into  use,  strongly  recommended  by  some,  as  exhibit- 
ing the  only  true  view  of  saving  faith,  and  as  fitted  at  once 
to  give  peace  to  the  troubled  conscience.  Some  who  had 
received  little  comfort  in  religion,  seized  on  this  notion  of 
faith,  persuaded  themselves  that  their  sins  were  pardoned 
and  that  Christ  and  all  his  benefits  were  theirs,  and  exulted 
for  a  time  in  the  pleasing  delusion.  But  they  generally  fell 
back  into  doubt  and  distress.  The  instances  of  persons  pro- 
fessing a  full  assurance  were  few.  Great  caution  was  exer- 
cised, to  guard  against  deception  ;  which  perhaps  led  to 
undue  nicety  in  the  attempt  to  discriminate  between  the 
exercises  of  the  believer  and  the  hypocrite,  and  to  a  multi- 
plication of  marks  and  evidences,  some  of  which  were  not 
deduced  from  tl^e  Holy  Scriptures.     This  caused  perplexity 


RESULTS.  75 

in  the  minds  of  many  sincere  persons,  and  detracted  from  the 
peace  which  they  might  have  enjoyed.  Nevertheless  just 
views  were  generally  entertained  on  this  subject,  and  our 
pastor  was  lucid  and  discriminating  as  to  the  nature  of  true 
religion." 

"  With  many  the  impressions  suddenly  made  vanished 
away  by  degrees,  so  that  they  became  as  careless  as  ever ; 
and  some  no  doubt  entered  the  communion  of  the  Church 
who  had  not  the  root  of  the  matter  in  them.  But  a  large 
number  continued  to  give  evidence  of  the  depth  and  reality 
of  the  work  of  grace  in  their  hearts.  Some  of  the  most 
lively  Christians  were  of  the  female  sex." 

Of  the  period  concerning  which  we  have  been  writing 
there  remain  several  little  books,  chiefly  in  cipher,  containing 
a  brief  journal  of  the  writer's  private  exercises.  They  begin 
when  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  extend  with  inter- 
ruptions for  about  six  years.  For  several  reasons  we  make 
no  use  of  them ;  partly  because  of  their  scantiness,  partly 
because  his  mature  judgment  seems  to  have  been  adverse  to 
such  diaries,  but  chiefly  because  he  has  given  elsewhere  as 
much  of  these  transactions  between  God  and  his  soul,  as  he 
desired  to  be  remembered. 

The  records  from  which  we  make  these  extracts  contain 
narratives  of  fearful  apostasy,  in  a  few  remarkable  instances  ; 
full  of  interest  and  warning,  but  too  extensive  in  their  details 
to  find  a  place  in  our  pages.  Some  of  these  fatal  results 
are  attributed  by  the  writer  himself  to  the  practice  common 
in  most  revivals  of  dragging  young  and  obscure  persons  into 
pubHc  view,  and  to  the  ill-judged  stress  laid  on  apparent 


76  PRINCETON    COLLEGE. 

gifts  of  fluent  and  acceptable  prayer  in  seeming  converts 
On  this  subject  his  views  corresponded  with  those  of  Robert 
Hall,  who  in  reviewing  his  own  juvenile  experience  in  respect 
to  this  matter,  writes  as  follows  :  "  I  never  call  the  circum- 
stance to  mind  but  with  grief  at  the  vanity  it  inspired  ; 
nor,  when  I  think  of  such  mistakes  of  good  men,  am  I  in- 
clined to  question  the  correctness  of  Baxter's  language, 
strong  as  it  is,  where  he  says,  '  Nor  should  men  turn  preach- 
ers as  the  river  Nilns  breeds  frogs  (saith  Herodotus),  where 
one  half  moveth  before  the  other  is  made,  and  while  it  is  yet 
but  plain  mud  ! '  "* 

Sixty  years  ago,  when  Archibald  Alexander  was  strug- 
gling to  acquire  an  education,  there  was  no  such  provision  of 
literary  apparatus  as  in  our  day.  Single  volumes  passed 
from  house  to  house,  as  great  treasures,  and  the  youth  was 
happy  who  could  own  any  one  of  those  works  which  now 
greet  us  with  profusion.  Our  young  student  speaks  of 
several  authors  who  influenced  his  mind  in  this  its  forming 
state.  First  among  these  were  such  as  met  the  demands  of 
his  troubled  mind  during  early  awakenings  ;  Owen,  Baxter, 
Alleine,  the  Erskines,  WiUison,  Doddridge,  Whitefield,  Je- 
nyns  and  Dickinson's  Letters. 

At  the  instance  of  General  Andrew  Moore,  young  Alex- 
ander was  induced  to  think  of  going  to  Princeton  College, 
then  under  the  presidentship  of  Dr.  Witherspoon.  To  this 
plan  his  father  was  very  fjivourable  ;  his  clothes  were  packed 
ap  and  actually  forwarded  a  certain  part  of  the  way.     A 

*  Memoir  of  Robert  Hall,  Vol.  ilL,  p.  5. 


ILLNESS.  77 

day  or  two  before  setting  out,  however,  he  waited  on  Mr. 
Graham,  from  whom  he  desired  to  take  letters.  To  his  sur- 
prise Mr.  Graham  disapproved  the  whole  scheme,  and  gave 
such  a  description  of  the  inconveniences  to  which  he  would 
be  subjected  as  an  undergraduate,  and  the  advantages  of  de- 
ferring this  step  until  he  should  take  degrees  at  Lexington, 
that  he  was  persuaded  to  remairi  at  home.  Gen.  Moore 
was  chagrined,  and  the  family  of  Mr.  Reid  were  much  dis- 
pleased. It  must  be  admitted  that  the  difficulties  suggested 
by  Mr.  Graham  were  imaginary.  But  Providence  directs  in 
all  such  conjunctures,  and  the  very  next  day  Mr.  Alexander 
was  seized  with  a  fever,  which  held  him  many  weeks  in  great 
suffering  and  danger.  The  physician  who  was  called  in, 
came  to  the  bedside  drunk.  For  a  large  part  of  the  time 
the  patient  was  in  a  raging  delirium.  At  one  stage  of  the 
disease  he  lay  speechless,  and  the  family  was  called  to  see 
him  die.  One  morning,  about  daybreak,  he  heard  the  voice 
of  a  neighbour  at  the  door,  inquiring,  "  Is  he  still  alive  ?  " 
It  was  the  preposterous  custom  of  the  country  for  every  one 
to  have  access  to  the  sick  room,  and  one  day  when  a  sermon 
was  preached  in  the  house,  half  the  congregation  came  in  to 
see  him,  and  some  good  but  unwise  men  undertook  to  talk 
with  him  on  religious  subjects,  while  his  mind  was  alienated 
But  it  was  God's  purpose  to  spare  him  for  usefulness.  For 
several  weeks  he  was  lifted  out  of  bed,  as  an  infant.  His 
constitution,  which  was  vigorous  before,  received  a  shock, 
from  which,  as  he  supposed,  it  never  fully  recovered.  He 
was  seized  with  an  excruciating  sciatica,  and  suffered  foi 
cnonths  with  a  distressing  cough  ;  so  that  during  the  whole 


78  THE    SWEET    SPRINGS. 

winter  and  spring  of  1790,  he  was  in  feeble  and  as  it  seemed 
declining  health. 

The  Sweet  Springs  had  already  become  a  place  of  fre- 
quent resort,  and  thither  he  was  accompanied  by  his  father  in 
the  ensuing  summer.  The  scenes  were  new  to  him,  and  we 
would  fain  believe  are  such  as  no  longer  present  themselves  in 
that  beautiful  locahty.  "  A  company  of  gamblers  never  inter- 
mitted their  games  day  or  night,  Sunday  or  workingday,  dur- 
ing the  whole  time  I  was  there.  They  relieved  one  another, 
and  would  sometimes  come  out  to  the  fountain,  adding  not  a 
little  to  the  horrid  symphony  of  oaths  and  imprecations  which 
filled  the  air  at  these  gatherings.  They  strove  to  outdo  one 
another  in  the  rapidity  and  novelty  of  their  profane  expres- 
sions. Some  of  these  persons  came  every  year,  and  had 
their  log  cabins  to  dwell  in.  Besides  other  invahds  there 
were  old  broken-down  debauchees,  who  were  endeavouring  to 
prop  up  a  shattered  and  polluted  constitution.  There  was 
an  old  Baptist  by  the  name  of  Cox,  from  North  Carolina, 
who  had  been  here  every  season  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
was  treated  with  a  sort  of  respect  by  the  profane,  although 
they  would  throw  out  a  jest  at  his  sobriety  ;  to  which  he 
would  reply,  ^  Gentlemen,  if  there  is  no  future  state,  your 
course  may  do,  but  if  it  should  turn  out  that  there  is,  I  should 
fear  to  be  in  your  place.'  "  He  adds  a  painful  account  of 
a  dying  man,  who  though  belonging  to  the  convivial  circlr^ 
was  abandoned  by  his  comrades.  "  They  would  only  come 
within  twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  the  cabin,  and  ask  how  he 
did  ;  but  I  could  hear  their  oaths  as  I  sat  beside  him.  T 
^und  on  his  table,  Law's  Serious  Call,  which  I  had  never 


MOUNTAIN   JOURNEY.  79 

seen,  and  which  I  read  through  that  night.  Nothing  ever 
more  goaded  my  conscience  ;  yet  I  believe  it  did  me  little 
good,  for  I  was  in  a  despondent  state." 

During  most  of  his  sojourn  he  was  in  the  family  of  Mr. 
Lewis,  the  proprietor  of  the  Sweet  Springs.  Here  he  met 
with  the  Kev.  Mr.  McKoberts,  of  Prince  Edward,  whose  name 
will  appear  again  in  our  narrative.  Mr.  LeGrand  also  came 
to  the  Springs,  and  preached  to  the  visitors.  The  sketches 
which  follow  are  too  characteristic  to  be  omitted,  especially 
as  the  memorials  of  this  period  are  scanty. 

"  My  health  was  improving,  and  several  weeks  remained 
of  the  time  allotted  to  my  stay,  but  finding  a  man  from 
Augusta  returning  with  a  led  horse,  I  prevailed  on  him  to 
convey  me  to  Kockbridge,  which  would  be  only  a  few  miles 
out  of  his  way.  We  set  out  rather  late  and  were  unable  to 
reach  our  lodging  place  before  night  ;  and  being  near  the 
banks  of  Jackson's  River  we  lost  our  way,  and  took  a  path 
which  led  us  off  from  the  main  road  directly  across  the  hills 
towards  the  river.  For  a  time  our  situation  was  not  only 
painful  but  perilous,  as  the  ravines  which  we  descended 
were  very  deep.  After  wandering  some  time  we  saw  a  dis- 
tant light,  and  with  some  difficulty  reached  a  cabin  in  the 
low  grounds.  We  found  two  women  in  the  house,  one  aged, 
and  the  other  young,  but  the  mother  of  several  children, 
who  were  sleeping  in  the  room  which  we  entered,  of  course 
the  only  one  in  the  house.  There  was  an  evident  reluctance 
in  these  persons  to  comply  with  our  request  for  lodging,  the 
reason  of  which  transpired  in  due  time.  The  matron  set  to 
work,  however,  and  provided  a  supper,  which  to  our  appetites 


80  THE    MOUNTAINS. 

appeared  very  good.  Scarcely  had  we  ended  our  repast^ 
when  the  man  of  the  house  came  home  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion. He  was  very  noisy  before  he  came  in,  but  when  he 
found  two  strangers,  he  became  outrageous  and  ordered  us 
to  depart.  We  expostulated,  reminding  him  that  the  night 
was  dark  and  that  we  could  not  possibly  regain  the  high- 
road. The  wife  and  mother  joined  their  entreaties  to  ours, 
and  he  at  length  consented  to  furnish  provender  for  our 
horses,  and  soon  fell  into  a  sound  sleep.  His  wife  spread  a 
bed  on  the  floor. 

"  We  rose  early,  on  a  lovely  Sabbath  morning  ;  my  plan 
in  setting  out  having  been  to  reach  the  forks  of  Jackson's 
River  and  the  Cow  Pasture,  where  I  knew  Mr.  LeGrand 
was  to  be.  The  man  of  the  house  ai»ose  early  also,  and  with 
a  marked  change  in  his  demeanour.  He  was  deeply  mortified 
at  the  inhospitality  of  the  previous  night,  and  sought  in 
every  way  to  make  amends  for  it.  Our  way  lay  all  the 
morning  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  in  some  places 
there  was  scarcely  room  for  a  bridle-path  between  the  moun- 
tain and  the  channel.  The  ride  was  delightful  and  refresh- 
ing, and  before  reaching  the  junction  of  the  Cow  Pasture, 
we  passed  what  I  have  always  admired  as  a  most  picturesque 
spot  ;  I  mean  that  where  Jackson's  River  makes  its  way 
through  the  high  and  steep  mountain.  The  fissure  is  very 
nan'ow,  and  the  sides  abrupt,  with  piles  of  rock  at  the  bottom. 
The  two  sides  of  the  breach  seem  to  correspond  vdih  each 
other,  showing  that  there  had  once  been  a  continuous  ridge. 

"  We  arrived  at  Mr.  Davidson's  long  before  the  hour  of 
public  worship.     The  people  seldom  heard  a  sermon  ;   being 


MR.    LEGRAND.  81 

SO  strung  along  the  narrow  valleys,  that  they  can  never  form 
self-supporting  congregations,  but  must  always  depend  on 
itinerants,  or  the  transient  visits  of  ministers  from  a  distance. 
In  such  regions  it  is  pleasing  to  see  the  ardour  with  which 
the  mountain  people  flock  to  the  place  of  meeting  ;  issuino- 
from  every  hollow  of  the  neighbouring  hills,  on  horseback 
and  on  foot.  When  the  young  preacher  arose,  with  his 
singular  advantages  of  mien  and  voice,  an  unwonted  air  of 
solemnity  and  interest  pervaded  the  assembly.  Mr.  Le- 
Grand  again  preached  much  to  my  heart  ;  seldom  have  I 
spent  a  happier  day.  We  had  two  sermons,  with  a  short 
interval.  When  he  met  me  at  the  edge  of  the  dense  forest 
whither  he  had  retired  for  devotion,  his  face  seemed  like  that 
of  Moses  to  shine,  and  as  we  were  on  terms  of  great  intimacy 
he  said  to  me,  '  If  I  ever  enjoyed  sensible  communion  with 
God,  it  was  within  the  last  half  hour.'  And  his  sermon  bore 
witness  that  he  had  been  with  Jesus.  These  discourses 
were  not  in  vain.  The  seeds  of  piety  were  sown  in  many 
young  hearts  that  day.  Several  members  of  Mr.  Davidson's 
family  dated  their  serious  impressions  from  that  day.  I  re- 
luctantly parted  with  Mr.  LeGrand  in  the  morning,  as  my 
travelling  companion  was  becoming  impatient  to  be  on  his 
way.  My  leaving  the  Springs  at  this  time  was  imprudent ; 
as  I  now  believe  that  if  I  had  remained,  my  health  would 
have  been  entirely  restored.  As  it  was,  though  much  re- 
cruited by  the  use  of  the  waters,  I  soon  feU  back  into  a  state 
of  debility." 

6 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 

1790—1791. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  MINISTRY THEOLOGICAL  CLASS FIRST  ATTEMPT  Al 

EXHORTATION VISIT    TO     PHILADELPHIA GENERAL    ASSEMBLY GREAl 

MEN  OF  THE  DAY RETURN. 

THE  time  had  arrived  when  it  was  natural  and  almost 
necessary  for  Mr.  Alexander  to  choose  a  profession  for 
life.  The  subject  had  been  forced  upon  his  mind  during  all 
the  months  of  his  rehgious  inquiry.  At  the  Sweet  Springs 
he  conversed  freely  on  this  point  with  Mr.  LeGrand.  The 
ministry  of  the  gospel  was  clearly  his  choice,  but  he  con- 
ceived himself  altogether  unfit  for  a  work  of  such  impor- 
tance. Mr.  Legrand  however  urged  him  to  engage  at  once 
in  the  study  of  divinity.  After  the  disappointment  experi 
enced  in  regard  to  Princeton,  he  privately  read  from  time  to 
time  such  books  as  he  could  procure,  and  so  far  as  his  health 
permitted.  "  I  doubted  my  call,"  says  he,  "  to  this  high 
and  holy  office.  The  only  other  pursuit  which  entered  my 
thoughts  was  that  of  agriculture  ;  and  I  pleased  myself  with 
the  thought  of  retirement  and  escape  from  the  awful  re- 
sponsibilities of  the  ministry.     I  still  however  went  on  with 


THEOLOGICAL    STUDIES.  83 

my  studies.  While  before  I  had  been  readin^^  al  random 
every  good  book  I  could  lay  hold  of,  I  now  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  commence  the  study  of  theology  with  more  method. 
I  expected  to  be  put  to  reading  many  ponderous  volumes  in 
Latin,  and  endeavoured  to  brace  my  nerves  for  the  effort. 
Accordingly  I  went  to  Mr.  Graham  with  a  request  that  he 
would  diroct  my  studies.  He  smiled,  and  said,  ^  If  you  mean 
ever  to  be  a  theologian,  you  must  coLie  at  it  not  by  reading 
but  by  tliinking.'  He  then  ridiculed  the  way  of  taking  our 
opinions  upon  the  authority  of  men,  and  of  deciding  ques- 
tions by  merely  citing  the  judgnients  of  this  or  that  great 
theologian  ;  repeating  what  he  had  just  said,  that  I  must 
learn  to  think  for  myself,  and  form  my  own  opinions  from 
the  Bible.  This  conversation  discouraged  me  more  than  if 
he  had  told  me  to  read  half  a  dozen  folios.  For  as  to  learning 
any  thing  by  my  own  thoughts,  I  had  no  idea  of  its  practi- 
cability. But  it  did  me  more  good  than  any  directions  or 
counsels  I  ever  received.  It  threw  me  on  my  own  resources, 
and  led  me  to  feel  the  necessity  of  disciplining  my  own 
thoughts  and  searching  into  the  j)rinciples  of  things. 

"  My  thoughts  were  entirely  absorbed  in  theological  ques- 
tions, and  as  there  were  several  young  men  of  education  in 
Lexington,  we  carried  on  daily  discussions.  Taking  nothing 
for  granted  without  proof,  we  debated  especially  all  the 
points  in  controversy  between  Calvinists  and  Arraiuians. 
The  Methodists  who  professed  Arminian  doctrine  were 
spreading  their  opinions  on  all  sides.  When  I  first. began  the 
study  of  theology  I  had  no  companion  but  John  Lyle,  who 
had  been  for  some  time  a  pupil  of  Mr.  Graham  ;  but  after  a 


84  PRESBYTERY. 

while  we  had  half  a  doznn.  Every  Saturday  we  met  at  ouj 
preceptor's  study,  for  recitation  and  debate.  Even  at  thia 
time  Mr.  Graham  was  much  engaged  in  the  study  of  Mental 
Philosophy.  He  had  a  natural  turn  for  such  investigations, 
and  had  observed  for  himself  with  great  acuteness.  He  had 
recently  obtained  the  works  of  Keid  and  Beattie,  with  others 
of  the  Scottish  school  ;  but  he  thought  he  could  construct  a 
better  system  than  any  proposed  by  these  writers.  Accord- 
ingly he  digested  a  series  of  lectures,  which  he  frequently 
dehvered  to  his  students  and  to  a  class  of  young  ladies. 
They  were  perspicuous  and  methodical  and  rested  on  obser- 
vations made  by  himself.  I  believe  they  were  never  written 
out,  for  he  had  a  strong  aversion  to  the  pen,  and  in  speaking 
he  had  such  a  command  of  his  knowledge  as  to  require  no 
assistance  from  notes.  During  the  time  of  my  theological 
studies  I  perused  no  great  number  of  volumes,  but  some  I 
read  with  much  care.  Among  these  were  Edwards  on  the 
Will,  on  Original  Sin,  and  on  the  Affections  ;  Bates's  Har- 
mony of  the  Divine  Attributes,  and  some  treatises  of  Owen 
and  Boston." 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  1790,  the  Presbytery 
of  Lexington  was  to  meet  at  the  North  Mountain  Meeting- 
House,  in  the  county  of  Augusta.  This  church  is  now 
called  Hebron.  Mr.  Alexander  was  prevailed  upon  by  his 
friends  and  teachers  to  present  himself  to  that  body  in  order 
to  trials  for  the  ministry.  He  describes  his  feelings  on  this 
occasion  as  very  uncomfortable,  from  remaining  doubts  as  to 
his  being  called  to  the  work  ;  but  he  was  averse  to  disregard 
the  advice  of  his  lionoured  preceptor,  who  had  acquired  an 


FIRST   EXHORTAnON.  85 

influence  over  him  which  he  could  hardly  resist,  Th« 
Presbytery  perceived  his  gifts,  and  encouraged  him  to  pro- 
ceed. It  appears  from  their  records  that  this  event  took 
place  on  the  20th  day  of  October,  1790.  Mr.  Graham  had 
resolved  to  get  the  permission  of  the  Presbytery  that  the  can- 
didates under  their  care  should  have  the  privilege  of  exhort- 
ing in  social  meetings  for  religious  worship  ;  for  in  that  day 
the  function  of  public  teaching  had  not  been  distributed  so 
lavishly  among  the  lay  brethren,  as  in  oui  own  time.  And 
to  quiet  the  scruples  of  Mr.  Alexander,  he  was  informed  that 
his  actual  entrance  on  the  ministry  might  be  postponed  as 
long  as  he  chose.  On  returning  home  from  the  Presbytery, 
he  soon  received  notice  that  authority  had  been  given  to 
him  and  his  fellow-student,  Mr.  John  Lyle,  to  exercise  their 
gifts  in  exhortation.  Mr.  Graham  was  accustomed  to  hold 
a  meeting  at  Kerr's  Creek,  at  the  house  of  old  John  McKee. 
This  place  was  therefore  selected  for  the  debut  of  the  young 
candidates.  But  the  event  is  too  interesting  not  to  be 
related  in  his  own  words.  It  is  seldom  that  we  have  such 
descriptions  of  a  first  effort  from  one  who  was  destined  to 
become  eminent  in  this  very  field  of  labour. 

"  The  thing  was  new  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
many  came  together.  I  was  exceedingly  apprehensive  that  I 
should  utterly  fail,  and  not  be  able  to  say  any  thing,  for  I 
had  never  spoken  in  public  except  what  I  had  tommitted  to 
memory.  I  had  once  attempted  to  speak  in  a  juvenile  de- 
bate, without  the  least  success.  We  arrived  at  the  place 
early  in  the  evening,  and  retired  to  the  grove.  When  we 
returned  to  the  house  Mr.  Lyle  appeared  to  be  much  ani- 


86  EXTEMPORANEOUS    SPEAKING. 

mated  and  elevaled.  He  told  me  that  he  had  a  remarkable 
flow  of  thought,  and  seemed  confident  of  a  prosperous  issue  ; 
which  only  discouraged  me  the  more,  as  I  was  weighed  down 
with  a  heavy  burden.  After  singing  and  prayer,  Mr.  Graham 
called  first  upon  Lyle,  who  arose  with  an  awful  cloud  upon 
his  brow,  seized  fast  hold  of  the  chair  upon  which  he  had 
been  sitting,  and  with  many  contortions  of  countenance 
forced  out  a  few  words  ;  but  his  flow  of  thought  had  deserted 
him.  He  hemmed  and  groaned,  rolled  up  his  pocket-hand- 
kerchief into  a  ball,  made  a  few  convulsive  gestures,  and  sat 
down.  After  another  prayer  and  hymn,  I  was  called  upon. 
Although  I  did  not  know  a  single  word  which  I  was  to  utter, 
I  began  with  a  rapidity  and  fluency  equal  to  any  I  have  en- 
joyed to  this  day.  I  was  astonished  at  myself,  and  as  I  was 
young  and  small,  the  old  people  were  not  less  astonished. 
From  this  time  I  exhorted  at  one  place  and  another,  several 
times  every  week.  It  was  still  a  cross  for  me  to  hold  forth 
at  Lexington  ;  and  after  efforts  unsatisfactory  to  myself,  I 
often  suffered  keen  anguish  of  spirit,  from  various  causes. 
At  other  times  my  heart  was  enlarged,  my  feelings  were 
lively,  so  that  I  found  delight  in  the  utterance  of  truth. 
At  that  time  I  seldom  followed  any  premeditated  train  of 
thought ;  the  words  which  I  first  spoke  generally  opened  a 
track  for  me,  which  I  pursued." 

It  is  a  proper  addition  to  this  statement  to  say  that, 
throughout  his  life,  the  extemporaneous  discourses  of  Dr. 
Alexander,  which  indeed  were  the  highest  effusions  of  his 
mind,  partook  of  the  character  of  these  early  efforts  ;  and  he 
Has  been  heard  to  say  again  and  again,  that  if  he  were  to 


MISSION.  87 

stake  his  life  on  a  single  effort,  he  would,  if  familiar  with 
the  general  subject,  abandon  himself  entirely  to  the  impulse 
of  the  moment. 

During  the  continuance  of  the  revival,  Mr.  Graham  was 
much  engaged  in  preaching,  not  only  at  home,  but  in  many 
other  congregations,  for  ther-e  was  an  awakened  attention  to 
religion  almost  throughout  the  Valley  ;  and  in  the  remote 
and  destitute  places  there  was  an  uncommon  desire  to  heai 
the  Gospel.  He  therefore  made  some  preaching  tours  among 
the  mountains,  and  along  the  streams,  where  the  population 
is  too  much  extended  through  narrow  vales  to  admit  of  com- 
pact societies.  On  one  of  these  excursions  he  was  accompa- 
nied by  his  young  pupil.  They  crossed  the  North  Mountain 
at  what  is  called  the  New  Gap,  where  the  ascent  is  exceed- 
ingly steep.  After  leaving  the  mountain  they  fell  down 
upon  the  James  Eiver  near  the  place  where  it  takes  that 
name,  that  is,  just  below  the  junction  of  the  Jackson  and 
Cow  pasture  Kivers.  Mr.  Graham  preached  to  these  scattered 
people  with  a  clearness  which  made  all  understand,  and  with 
an  earnestness  and  affection  which  caused  deep  feeling.  One 
of  their  meetings  was  at  the  house  of  a  rich  old  German. 
"  In  the  morning,"  says  a  narrative  from  which  we  derive 
these  facts,  "  Mr.  John  Lyle,  my  fellow-student  and  travel- 
ling companion,  informed  me  that  before  sunrise  he  had  seen 
a  labourer  take  the  German  Bible  from  the  house  into  a 
neighbouring  thicket,  where  he  kept  it  about  half  an  hour 
and  then  went  to  his  work.  We  agreed  to  have  some  con- 
versation with  the  man,  and  learned  from  him  that  he  Hved 
at  a  distance,  but  that  he  was  now  engaged  for  a  time  in 


88  THE    GERMAN    CONVERT. 

attending  to  some  hemp,  in  a  piece  of  land  allowed  him  by  the 
farmer.  We  found  that  he  had  not  been  present  at  the 
sermon  the  day  before.  He  gave  us  the  following  narrative. 
*  I  have  lived,  ever  since  I  was  married,  on  the  Cow  pasture 
River,  where  the  Gospel  is  seldom  preached.  For  a  few 
months  we  engaged  a  man  to  preach,  and  poor  and  careless 
as  we  were,  I  subscribed  a  dollar,  and  then  thought  I  would 
go  and  get  the  worth  of  my  money.  I  frequently  felt  my 
conscience  moved,  but  the  impression  soon  went  off.  Soon 
after  the  preacher  left  us,  I  was  one  day  riding  by  myself, 
when  all  at  once  I  had  such  a  view  of  my  lost  condition  and 
sinfulness,  that  I  felt  as  if  the  earth  would  open  and  swallow 
me  up.  Though  the  awful  feeling  of  that  moment  subsided, 
I  fell  into  a  state  of  settled  distress.  I  knew  that  I  was  a 
sinner,  but  knew  not  how  my  sins  could  be  pardoned.  I  was 
advised  to  read  the  Bible,  which  I  did  ;  but  the  more  I  read, 
the  more  was  I  condemned,  and  my  distress  was  thereby  in- 
creased, so  that  for  a  while  I  shut  up  the  book  and  put  it 
away.  Yet  I  could  not  find  rest,  and  so  returned  to  reading. 
My  neighbours  were  of  various  opinions  respecting  my  case. 
Some  were  of  opinion  that  my  reason  was  touched,  others 
said  it  was  low  spirits. 

"  ^  My  distress  of  mind  began  to  wear  me  away,  until  at 
last  I  was  unable  to  work  in  the  field,  and  my  wife  and 
children  were  likely  to  come  to  want.  At  length  I  scarcely 
had  strength  to  walk  the  floor.  One  Sunday  evening  a  little 
before  sunset  I  was  sitting  on  the  side  of  my  bed,  where  I 
had  been  reading  my  Bible,  when  all  of  a  sudden  my  mind 
seemed  to  be  full  of  light  and  my  heart  of  love  and  joy.     I 


THE    GERMAN    CONVERT.  S9 

thought  that  Christ  had  died  for  my  sins,  and  that  God  had 
forgiven  me  for  Jiis  sake.  It  was  so  plain,  I  wondered  that 
I  had  never  seen  it  before.  The  joy  was  so  great  that  I  sank 
down  on  the  bed,  and  almost  swooned.  My  wife  shrieked, 
thinking  I  was  about  to  die.  But  I  was  soon  able  to  tell 
her  that  I  was  happy— as  happy  as  I  could  be — that  I  had 
seen  Christ  to  have  died  for  me  on  the  cross,  and  that  God 
had  pardoned  all  my  sins.  In  this  happy  state  I  remained 
for  some  time  ;  but  by  degrees  I  began  to  believe  that  it  was 
a  delusion.  Darkness  came  over  me  and  my  distress  re- 
turned ;  but  not  as  at  first,  for  I  now  knew  that  whether  I 
had  received  it  or  not  there  was  pardon  for  miserable  sinners. 
But  for  several  years  I  have  had  no  comfort.  I  read  and 
pray,  and  sometimes  have  a  faint  hope,  but  for  the  most  part 
am  in  darkness.  It  is  now  nine  years  since  I  had  this  won- 
derful discovery,  and  during  aU  that  time  I  have  never  heard 
a  sermon,  nor  ever  before  met  with  a  single  person  who  un- 
derstood my  case.' 

^*  When  the  poor  German  had  proceeded  thus  far,  we 
had  reached  the  place  of  meeting,  and  found  the  house  full. 
We  were  very  solicitous  that  Mr.  Graham  might  be  led 
to  choose  a  subject  suited  to  the  case  of  our  German  brother, 
for  such  we  esteemed  him.  And  it  was  so  ordered  that  the 
text  led  him  to  open  the  way  of  salvation,  and  to  describe 
the  exercises  of  a  soul  when  closing  with  Christ  on  the 
terms  of  the  Gospel.  That  day  we  heard  more  for  the  af- 
flicted man  than  for  ourselves.  He  never  took  his  eyes  off 
the  preacher,  and  during  the  hour  of  the  sermon  they  were 
Cull  of  tears.     His  emotions  were  evidently  various.     We 


90  MR.  Graham's  preaching. 

were  incapable  of  entering  into  the  feelings  of  a  man  "whr 
had  been  converted  for  nine  years,  and  yet  had  never  heard 
a  sermon,  and  who  for  seven  years  had  been  walking  in  dark- 
ness and  doubt,  without  once  meeting  with  man  or  woman 
who  knew  any  thing  of  experimental  religion.  As  he  had 
to  return  immediately,  we  followed  him  to  his  horse  as  he 
came  weeping  from  the  house.  His  heart  was  too  full  for 
utterance.  At  length  he  lifted  up  his  hands,  and  thanked 
God  for  the  mercy  bestowed  on  him,  in  giving  him  opportu- 
nity to  hear  the  precious  Gospel  that  day.  He  said  that  his 
distress  had  forsaken  him,  and  something  of  his  first  joy 
filled  his  heart,  but  that  he  had  much  sorrow  for  sin  mingled 
with  his  comfort.  He  took  leave  of  us  with  tears,  tenderly 
thanking  us  for  having  procured  him  this  inestimable  privi- 
lege. 

"  Mr.  Graham's  preaching  for  fifteen  years  had  been  at- 
tended with  so  little  apparent  effect,  that  it  is  not  easy  to 
conceive  of  the  joy  with  which  he  witnessed  so  great  a 
change  in  the  religious  aspect  of  the  community.  For  some 
time  he  devoted  himself  entirely  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
His  preaching  at  this  time  was  evangelical  and  powerful. 
The  writer  is  now  of  opinion,  that  he  never  heard  from  any 
man  a  clearer  and  stronger  exhibition  of  the  Gospel  than  in 
the  sermons  of  Mr.  Graham  during  this  period.""^ 

An  event  of  more  than  ordinary  moment  in  the  quiet 
career  of  a  student  in  the  mountains,  was  his  making  a  visit 
in  the  spring  of  1791  to  Philadelphia.     In  his  mature  yeara 

*  MS.  Life  of  William  Graham. 


YOUNG  RULING  ELDER.  91 

he  was  accustomed  to  speak  with  regret  and  reprehension  of 
one  part  of  the  counsel  of  his  invaluable  friend  and  preceptor. 
The  G-eneral  Assembly  was  about  to  convene,  and  Mr.  Gra- 
ham, desiring  his  young  and  promising  pupil  to  attend  on 
that  judicatory,  conceived  the  strange  design  that  he  should 
go  in  the  capacity  of  a  ruling  elder.  He  was  little  satisfied 
with  the  arrangement,  but  acquiesced. 

These  were  days  of  equestrian  travel,  and  they  set  out 
as  for  a  long  journey.  An  agreement  had  been  made  to 
meet  Dr.  John  B.  Smith  at  Winchester,  and  to  attend  the 
communion  at  Shepherdstown,  where  Mr.,  afterwards  the 
Kev.  Dr.  Moses  Hoge  was  pastor.  Mr.  Alexander  rode  a 
young  horse,  unaccustomed  to  travelHng,  which  was  found- 
ered about  the  third  day.  They  stopped  with  Mr.  Solomon 
Hoge,  brother  of  the  clergyman,  with  whom  resided  his  ven- 
erable father.  Mr.  Graham,  after  as  much  delay  as  he 
could  afford,  resumed  his  journey.  The  horse  did  not 
amend,  and  this  caused  a  halt  of  some  days. 

"Old  Mr.  Hoge,''  so  he  writes,  "though  eighty-four 
years  of  age,  was  in  the  fullest  vigour  of  intellect,  and  de- 
lighted in  theological  discussion.  He  gave  me  a  narrative 
of  the  state  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Pennsylvania 
during  his  youth.  At  the  age  of  one  and  twenty  he  care- 
fully read  over  every  article  of  the  Westminster  Confession 
of  Faith,  to  see  whether  he  could  adopt  the  whole  ;  which 
he  was  able  freely  and  deliberately  to  do.  At  the  time 
when  I  met  him  he  was  in  conneAion  with  the  Seceder 
Church.  He  did  not  inform  me  how  this  came  about,  but 
some  years  afterwards  Dr.  Hoge  told  me  that  his  father  left 


92  JOURNEY    NORTHWARD. 

our  churcih  on  account  of  the  ^  Adopting  Act/  which  per- 
mitted candidates  to  make  some  exceptions  when  they  re- 
ceived the  Confession.  I  know  not  that  I  ever  received  so 
much  instruction  in  the  same  time  from  any  one  as  from 
this  old  gentleman.  Certain  difficulties,  which  I  had  on 
some  points,  he  entirely  removed  to  my  satisfaction.  What 
he  told  me  of  the  mother  Presbytery,  of  Philadelphia,  would 
have  been,  of  value  if  I  had  written  it  down  from  his  mouth, 
but  before  I  recognised  its  importance,  the  facts  had  become 
dim  in  my  memory." 

Mounting  his  crippled  horse,  he  attempted  to  press  for- 
ward, but  before  reaching  Winchester  he  found  him  unable 
to  proceed.  Here  occurred  an  incident  of  travel,  which  be- 
longs to  the  picture  of  life.  "  After  struggling  along  a  few 
miles,  I  came  to  Opekan  Creek,  where  the  low  grounds 
were  covered  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three. feet  by  reason  of 
back-water  from  a  mill  below.  When  I  had  reached  about 
midway,  the  horse  determinately  refused  to  proceed,  and 
there  I  was,  seated  on  his  back  in  the  midst  of  the  water. 
There  was  no  way  left  but  to  dismount  into  the  water,  but 
this  I  was  afraid  to  do  on  account  of  my  feeble  health.  Ob- 
serving a  house  at  some  distance  I  called  as  loudly  as  I 
could,  and  at  length  made  myself  heard.  A  large,  lazy  look- 
ing German  came  down  and  asked  why  I  was  sitting  there. 
I  told  him,  and  entreated  him  to  get  a  horse  and  bring  me 
out,  but  he  said  there  were  no  horses  near.  The  want  of 
sympathy  in  this  man^aggravated  my  distress.  At  length 
a  man  came  along  on  horseback  who  immediately  led  my 
horse  out  ;    and  not  only  so,  but  continued  with  me  until 


JOURNEY.  93 

nine  o'clock  at  night,  when  I  arrived  at  the  place  to  which 
I  had  been  directed. 

"  I  found  old  Mrs.  Kiley  alone ;  all  her  sons  had  gone  to 
the  sacrament  at  Shepherdstown,  where  Dr.  Smith  and  Mr. 
Graham  were  assisting  Mr.  Hoge.  The  next  morning, 
which  was  the  Sabbath,  I  went  into  the  neighbourhood  to 
hear  a  Methodist  preacher.  At  the  close  of  his  sermon  he 
gave  notice  that  a  Presbyterian  minister  would  preach  at 
Mrs.  Kiley's  that  evening.  At  fii'st  I  wondered  who  it  could 
be  that  had  come  into  the  place,  but  it  soon  occurred  to  me, 
that  it  arose  from  a  misapprehension  of  something  I  had 
said  to  Mrs.  Kiley.  The  mistake  disturbed  me  not  a  little. 
I  went  to  the  stand  on  which  he  had  preached — for  the  ser- 
mon was  in  the  open  air — and  begged  him  to  correct  the 
mistake,  but  he  made  light  of  the  difference  between  a 
preacher  and  an  exhorter.  In  the  evening  a  multitude  col- 
lected, so  that  the  house  could  not  contain  them.  When  I 
arose  to  speak  I  explained  the  matter,  and  then  delivered  an 
exhortation  of  some  length,  as  the  people  seemed  greedy  to 
hear.  Indeed  there  was  a  considerable  excitement  among 
them,  which  had  been  produced  by  the  preaching  of  Mr. 
Hill  and  also  of  the  clergymen  with  whom  I  was  travelling." 

Provided  here  with  a  fresh  horse,  he  set  out  and  pressed 
on  with  all  his  force  to  overtake  these  companions.  The 
next  day  he  arrived  at  a  neighbourhood  where  Dr.  Smith 
had  just  been  preaching,  and  the  evening  after  arrived  at 
the  house  where  he  was  lodging.  Dr.  Smith's  cordiality  and 
courtesy  here  appeared  to  great  advantage,  and  he  had  it  in 
his  power  to  communicate  great  relief  to  the  young  and  em- 


94  PHILADELPHIA. 

barrassed  stranger.  The  company  went  onward  by  the  way 
of  York,  and  at  length  reached  the  little  town  of  Pequea, 
a  spot  somewhat  remarkable  in  the  history  of  our  church. 
Here  the  venerable  Doctor  Robert  Smith,  the  father  of 
the  President,  was  still  pastor.  Here  likewise  the  sacra- 
ment was  to  be  celebrated  on  the  approaching  Sabbath. 
The  congregation  was  large,  but  without  those  signs  of  popu- 
lar feeling  to  which  our  Virginians  had  been  accustomed  at 
home.  On  Monday,  in  conformity  to  the  old  Scottish  prac- 
tice, Mr.  Graham  discoursed  ;  his  sermon  was  powerful  and 
pungent,  and  a  certain  young  man  was  struck  to  the  neart, 
and  came  to  the  house  inquiring  what  he  should  do  to  be 
saved.  On  Tuesday  the  four  travellers  set  their  faces  towards 
Philadelphia,  and  their  number  was  increased  by  old  Dr. 
Smith  and  his  wife.  We  shall  here  annex  copious  extracts 
from  the  personal  narrative,  both  as  giving  a  simple  descrip- 
tion of  the  impressions  made  by  novel  scenes  on  an  un- 
sophisticated mind,  and  as  affording  more  particulars  than 
are  elsewhere  extant  concerning  a  very  important  General 
Assembly. 

"  I  felt  a  great  awe  on  my  spirits  at  the  thought  of 
entering  the  great  city.  My  impression  was  that  all  eyes 
would  be  directed  towards  me.  As  we  approached,  our  com- 
pany separated,  as  they  expected  to  lodge  in  different  places. 
Mr.  Graham  and  I  stopped  at  a  farm-house  near  Gray'a 
Ferry,  where  we  made  an  agreement  with  the  host,  a  quaker, 
for  the  keeping  of  our  horses.  As  we  rode  along  the  streets 
and  beheld  the  people  pressing  forward  with  rapid  steps,  I 
was  surprised  and  relieved  to  find  that  they  took  no  notice 


ASSEMBLY   OF    1791.  95 

of  US.  The  tavern  where  we  dismounted  was,  I  think,  in 
Chestnut  Street.  Here  we  found  a  hale  corpulent  man  of 
forty,  bouncing  about  and  attending  to  his  guests  with  little 
aid.  The  floors  were  not  carpeted,  but  were  scoured  very 
clean,  and  thickly  sprinkled  with  very  white  sand. 

"  After  adjusting  our  dress,  we  repaired  to  the  church  at 
the  corner  of  Third  and  Arch  Streets,  where  the  Assembly 
was  to  be  opened  by  a  sermon  from  the  Keverend  Robert 
Smith,  D.D.,  the  late  moderator.  I  went  under  a  painful 
apprehension  that  the  appearance  of  such  a  youth,  under 
the  denomination  of  a  ruhng  elder,  must  excite  the  contempt 
or  pity  of  every  member.  Indeed  it  was  an  ill-judged  thing. 
What  struck  me  with  astonishment  was  that  although  thou- 
sands of  people  were  passing  the  doors,  there  were  not  a 
hundred  in  the  church.  Dr.  Smith  preached  a  sermon  of 
which  I  heard  very  little,  as  his  enunciation  was  impaired  by 
the  loss  of  his  teeth.  He  wore  a  very  large  white  wig, 
coming  down  far  over  his  shoulders,  and  being  short  in 
stature  presented  an  appearance  somewhat  grotesque.  Most 
of  the  clergy  wore  wigs  ;  all  from  the  cities  and  great  towns 
wore  powder,  as  did  many  gentlemen  whom  we  met  in  the 
streets.  The  discourse  was  delivered  with  great  earnestness, 
and  the  opinion  which  I  formed  of  the  preacher  was  that  he 
possessed  uncommon  ardour  of  piety.  He  said  much  of  the 
great  revival  in  which  he  had  been  a  labourer,  but  seemed 
much  afraid  of  the  wildfire  and  disorder,  which  so  much  in- 
jured the  cause  in  those  days.  In  private  he  expressed 
apprehensions  lest  his  son  John  Blair  Smith  and  Mr.  Gra- 
ham were  engaged  in  sending  raw  and  unfurnished  ministers 


96  EMINENT   MEN. 

into  the  work.  He  treated  me  with  great  tenderness,  but 
was  surprised  to  hear  that  I  was  to  be  a  member,  and  asked 
whether  I  came  as  priest  or  Levite.  The  excellent  old  man 
lived  but  a  year  or  two  after  this  time. 

"  Some  interest  seemed  to  be  felt  as  to  the  choice  of 
Moderator.      The  Kev.   Dr.  John  Woodhull,   of   Freehold, 
N.  J.,  was  nominated,  but  Mr.  John  B.  Smith  came  round 
to  us,   and   solicited  our  votes  for  Mr.   McCreary,  an   old 
minister  from  Maryland  or  Delaware,  who  was  said  to  be  a 
godly  and  evangelical  man  ;  but  Mr.  Woodhull  had  a  large 
majority.     The  body  was  small,  consisting  of  not  more  than 
thirty  or  forty  members.     The  leading  ministers  were  Dr. 
Alison  of  Baltimore,  Dr.  McWhorter  of  Newark,  Dr.  Ewing 
of  Philadelphia,  Nathaniel  Irwin  of  Neshaminy,  James  F. 
Armstrong  of   Trenton,  Joseph  Clark  of  New  Brunswick, 
Dr.  Cooper,  Dr.  Latta,  and  Nathan  and  Jacob  Ker.     Dr. 
Nisbet  was  in  constant  attendance,  but  I  have  forgotten 
whether   he  was   a   commissioner.      But    all   Presbyterian 
ministers   were   invited   to   sit   as   correspondent  members. 
President  Witherspoon  came  about  the  middle  of  the  ses- 
sion, and  after  a  day  or  two  gave  place  to  Dr.  Samuel  Stan- 
hope Smith.     There  were  few  from  the  south,  besides  oui 
little  company.    I  remember  one  by  the  name  of  Templeton. 
Colonel  John  Bayard,  father  of  John,  Samuel,  and  James  A. 
Bayard,  was  there  as  an  elder,  and  took  an  active  part  in  all 
business,  receiving  much  deference,  as  he  had  occupied  high 
civil  offices.     Dr.  Green  was  not  a  member,  but  came  every 
day  and  sometimes  engaged  in  discussion.     At  that  time  he 
must  have  been  above  thirty  years  of  age  ;  his  appearance 


DR.    WOODHULL DR.    NISBET.  97 

was  dignified  and  lofty,  and  except  that  he  was  pale  he  was 
at  a  distance  a  very  handsome  man.  His  peruke  was  the 
finest  I  ever  saw,  falling  over  his  shoulders  in  great  curls,  which 
were  white  with  powder.  I  was  filled  with  admiration  to 
hear  so  fine  a  man  talk  seriously  ahout  religion  ;  for  I  had 
imbibed  the  prejudice  widely  prevalent  among  the  Metho- 
dists, that  men  or  women  who  dressed  fashionably  and  wore 
powder  and  the  like  ornaments,  must  be  destitute  of  reli- 
gion. 

"  Dr.  WoodhuU  the  Moderator  was  a  man  of  good  ap- 
pearance, about  forty-five  years  of  age.  If  I  remember 
aright,  William  M.  Tennent,  afterwards  Dr.  Tennent  of 
Abingdon,  was  the  recording  clerk,  and  Mr.  Armstrong  the 
reading  clerk.  The  member  who  took  most  upon  him,  ex- 
plaining every  thing  minutely  and  tediously,  was  Dr. 
McWhorter  of  Newark.  But  though  unnecessarily  prolix 
his  remarks  were  always  earnest  and  judicious.  Dr.  Nisbet 
seemed  desirous  to  learn  all  that  was  said  ;  being  somewhat 
deaf  he  would  go  up  close  to  the  speaker  and  turn  to  him 
the  hearing  ear.  His  appearance  was  singular.  He  was 
short  in  stature,  but  broad  in  the  face  and  shoulders  and 
whole  frame,  and  wore  a  gray  wig  which  reached  far  down 
his  back.  He  took  much  snuff  and  seemed  to  have  the 
habit  of  talking  to  himself,  for  his  lips  were  in  frequent  mo- 
tion, and  as  he  sometimes  trotted  from  one  speaker  to 
another  he  would  utter  something  audibly.  On  one  of  these 
occasions  as  Dr.  Hall  of  North  Carolina  was  making  an 
earnest  speech,  with  great  solemnity  of  manner.  Dr.  Nisbet 
as  he  returned  to  his  seat  near  the  Moderator  was  heard  tc 
7 


98  DR.   WITHERSPOON. 

ejaculate,  ^  Poor  human  nature,  poor  human  nature  ! '  Some 
one  was  officious  enough  to  tell  this  to  Dr.  Hall,  who  was 
grievously  mortified  and  offended.  Nathaniel  Irwin  of 
Neshaminy  was  an  influential  member  of  this  Assembly. 
He  was  very  fall,  and  had  a  voice  the  sound  of  which  pro- 
duced alarm,  on  a  first  hearing.  He  always  took  his  stand 
at  a  place  the  most  remote  from  the  chair,  and  seemed  to 
utter  every  thing  with  the  greatest  sound  he  could  command. 
It  was  easy  to  discern  that  as  his  head  was  literally  long,  so 
it  was  intellectually.  The  very  first  draft  of  a  plan  for 
raising  a  permanent  -;>  -:>  c-  proceeded  from  him  during 
this  Assembly.  Joseph  Clark  of  "New  Brunswick,  after- 
wards Dr.  Clark,  was  a  speaker  who  occupied  much  time, 
from  the  extreme  slowness  of  his  observations. 

"  About  the  middle  of  the  Assembly  Dr.  Witherspoon 
came  from  Princeton,  and  took  his  seat.  He  immediately 
participated  in  the  business,  and  e^dnced  such  an  intuitive 
clearness  of  apprehension  and  correctness  of  judgment,  that 
his  pointed  remarks  commonly  put  an  end  to  the  discussion. 
In  most  cases  I  thought  I  perceived  how  things  should  be 
decided,  and  was  gratified  to  find  my  opinions  frequently 
confirmed  by  those  of  Dr.  Witherspoon.  But  in  one  in- 
stance, in  which  John  D.  Blair  of  Richmond  took  an  active 
part,  I  was  entirely  misled.  The  question  was  whether  an 
offending  member's  profession  of  repentance  was  a  sufficient 
ground  for  immediate  restoration.  Mr.  Blair  read  the  pas- 
sage in  which  our  Lord  says,  '  If  thy  brother  offend  against 
thee  seven  times  in  a  day,'  etc.  This  seemed  to  me  as  cleai 
as  the  light  ;  but  Dr.  Witherspoon  arose  and  dispelled  tlie 


DR.    SMITH.  99 

delusion,  by  distinguishing  between  a  private  offence,  con- 
cerning an  individual,  and  a  public  offence  which  affected  the 
church,  as  also  between  the  offence  of  a  private  member  and 
the  offence  of  a  minister. 

"  Dr.  Witherspoon  remained  only  two  or  three  days,  after 
which  Dr.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith  took  his  place.  When 
he  entered  the  house  I  did  not  observe  him,  but  happening 
to  turn  my  head  I  saw  a  person  whom  I  must  still  consider 
the  most  elegant  I  ever  saw.  The  beauty  of  his  counte- 
nance, the  clear  and  vivid  complexion,  the  symmetry  of  his 
form  and  the  exquisite  finish  of  his  dress,  were  such  as  to 
strike  the  beholder  at  first  sight.  The  thought  never 
occurred  to  me  that  he  was  a  clergyman,  and  I  supposed 
him  to  be  some  gentleman  of  Philadelphia,  who  had  dropped 
in  to  hear  the  debate.  I  ought  to  have  mentioned  that  Dr. 
Witherspoon  was  as  plain  an  old  man  as  ever  I  saw,  and  as 
free  from  any  assumption  of  dignity.  All  he  said,  and 
every  thing  about  him  bore  the  marks  of  importance  and 
authority.  Dr.  Green  had  just  returned  from  the  General 
Association  of  Connecticut,  which  he  had  attended  as  a 
delegate.  He  gave  an  account  of  his  reception,  and  brought 
forward  a  resolution  to  agree  with  them  in  a  concert  of 
prayer  for  the  revival  of  religion.  This  was  opposed  by  Dr. 
Alison,  in  a  speech  of  great  power  and  eloquence.  I  never 
heard  a  man  who  could  pour  out  such  a  torrent  of  strong 
thoughts  and  expressions,  without  the  least  appearance  of 
effort  ;  for  he  made  no  attempt  to  play  the  orator,  but  com- 
monly leaned  over  the  side  of  the  pew  and  seldom  raised 
either  his  head  or  his  hands.     Dr.  Green  made  an  able  and 


100  BUSINESS   OF    ASSEMBLY. 

pious  speech  in  reply,  in  the  course  of  which  he  mentioned 
that  the  only  three  men  who  opposed  it  in  the  General  Asso- 
ciation were  a  Mr.  Church,  a  Mr.  Lord,  and  a  Mr.  Devotion. 
Dr.  Smith  was  also  opposed  to  it,  and  had  caused  it  to  he 
cast  out  in  the  Synod  of  New- York  and  New  Jersey.  But 
our  Southern  ministers,  fresh  from  a  great  revival,  were  zeal- 
ously in  favour  of  it,  as  were  the  members  from  the  w^est  of 
Pennsylvania.  So  that  the  resolution  was  carried  by  a  large 
majority. 

"The  only  difficult  and  unpleasant  cases,  which  came 
before  the  Assembly  of  1791,  were  the  following.     A  certain 
minister  had  been  guilty  of  a  great  crime,  which  w^as  not 
mentioned ;  after  a  season  of  the  deepest  sori'ow  and  full 
confession  and  profession  of  repentance,  he  was  restored  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Newcastle  by  which  he  had  been  deposed. 
He   soon  afterwards  removed  up  the  North  River,  carrying 
wdth  him  clear  credentials.     But  after  a  while  the  report  of 
the  crime  followed  him  ;  the  Presbytery  within  whose  bounds 
he  now  was  found  the  charge  to  be  true,  and  brought  a  com- 
plaint against  the  Presbytery  of  Newcastle,  for  dismissing 
the  member  as  in  good  standing,  who  had  been  thus  guilty. 
There  w^as  much  warmth  among  some  of  the  old  men  about 
this  matter.     Dr.  Cooper  w^as  not,  I  think,  a  regular  member 
of  the  Assembly,  but  spoke  as  a  correspondent.     A  severer 
countenance  I  never  looked  upon,  and  in  debate  his  words 
were  sharp  as  a  two-edged  sword.     He  made  a  reply  to  a 
speech  of  Dr.  Samuel  S.  Smith,  which  was  very  tart  and 
cutting.     The    other   case    was   a   comj^laint   of  Newcastle 
Presbytery  against  that  of  Lewes,  because  the  latter  had 


DEPARTURE.  101 

taken  under  their  care  and  licensed  a  candidate  while  he  was 
under  censure  of  the  former. 

"  Our  ministers  were  warm  from  a  great  revival,  and  for 
a  year  or  two  had  been  engaged  in  organizing  a  plan  for  send- 
ing out  missionaries.  Indeed  the  Synod  of  Virginia  had  at 
this  time. four  or  five  young  men  in  the  field.  These  were 
Nash  LeGrand,  William  Hill,  Gary  Allen,  Eohert  Marshall, 
and  John  Lyle. 

"  While  in  Philadelphia  I  was  frequently  at  the  house  of 
old  Mrs.  Hodge,  the  grandmother  of  Professor  Hodge.  Here 
John  B.  Smith  aad  his  family  were  entertained,  and  here  I 
saw  also  the  widow  of  President  Finley  of  Princeton,  who 
was  at  this  time  entirely  blind.  Dr.  J.  B.  Smith  remained 
in  Philadelphia,  as  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church  (of  which 
the  writer  was  afterwards  pastor)  had  given  him  a  call, 
after  the  death  of  Dr.  Duffield. " 

It  was  now  the  month  of  June,  and  as  the  weather  was 
extremely  hot  and  the  roads  were  dusty,  the  little  party 
determined  to  lie  by  during  the  day  and  travel  by  night. 
They  crossed  the  Blue  Kidge  at  Black's  Gap,  by  the  light 
of  the  moon,  which  was  then  near  the  full.  But  after  mid- 
night they  began  to  feel  sleepy,  and  having  cleared  the. 
mountain  sought  for  some  lodging-place.  Part  of  the  com- 
pany found  a  house  on  the  right  ;  Mr.  Graham  and  his 
young  cornpanion  went  further,  and  turned  into  a  farm- 
clearing  on  the  left.  It  was  a  log  house,  and  the  family 
were  asleep  in  bed.  But  in  conformity  mth  the  hospitable 
customs  of  the  land,  the  mountaineer  arose  and  admitted 
them,  and  took  charge  of  their  horses.     The  guests  were 


102  SOMNAMBULISM. 

shown  up  stairs,  or  rather  up  a  ladder,  to  a  loft  under  the 
roof.  Here  they  were  made  acquainted  with  the  German 
fashion  of  sleeping  under  a  bed,  in  lieu  of  other  covering 
The  next  day  Dr.  Hall  proposed  to  introduce  them  to  a  case 
of  somnambulism  or  irregular  mental  action,  which  carried 
some  appearance  of  the  supernatural.  The  person  was  a 
young  woman  of  the  neighbourhood,  who  every  day  at  a  cer- 
tain hour  seemed  to  fall  into  a  trance,  and  uttered  wonder- 
ful things. 

"  We  pushed  hard,"  says  the  narrative,  "  to  get  to  the 
house  by  the  hour  of  her  paroxysm,  which  was  one  o'clock. 
Her  name  was  Susannah  Orendorf,  and  she  was  the  daughter 
of  a  farmer  near  Sharpsburg.  The  young  woman  was  re- 
clining on  a  bed,  very  pale,  and  clad  in  white.  She  was 
attended  by  an  elder  sister,  who  with  the  parents  agreed  in 
asserting  that  she  had  eaten  nothing  for  five  or  six  months, 
and  that  the  only  thing  which  entered  her  lips  was  a 'sip  of 
sweetened  water,  of  which  a  tumbler  stood  near  her  on  the 
table.  This  was  considered  miraculous  by  many,  and  the 
Methodists  preached  about  Susannah,  and  related  her  sayings 
in  their  sermons.  Multitudes  came  to  see  her  ;  some  above 
a  hundred  miles  ;  so  that  there  would  sometimes  be  two 
hundred  people  there  at  one  time.  After  coming  out  of  one 
of  her  epileptic  fits,  she  would  tell  those  around  her  what 
she  had  seen  in  heaven  ;  and  so  credulous  were  some  that 
they  came  to  ask  whether  she  had  seen  certain  friends  of 
theirs  who  had  lately  died.  On  this  point,  however,  she  could 
give  no  satisfactory  information.  Some  wished  to  know 
which  religious  denomination  was  most  approved  in  heaven 


SLEEPING   PKEACHER.  103 

The  girl  answered  more  discreetly  than  could  have:  been  ex- 
pecteJ  from  her  education — for  she  was  very  ignorant — say- 
ing, '  In  the  other  world  people  are  not  judged  of  by  their 
professions,  but  the  sincerity  of  their  hearts,  and  the  good- 
ness of  their  conduct.'  Some  very  noisy  persons  came  from 
Newtown  to  see  her  ;  and  as  a  great  company  was  collected 
they  engaged  in  devotional  exercises.  One  of  their  number, 
John  Hill,  a  man  of  great  muscular  power  and  a  stentorian 
voice,  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  in  prayer,  keeping  time 
with  one  of  his  feet  and  both  his  hands.  When  he  was  done, 
Susannah  asked  him,  ^  Why  do  you  sj)eak  so  loud  ?  Do  you 
think  the  Almighty  is  hard  of  hearing  .^ ' 

"  At  nearly  the  same  hour  every  day,  after  a  little  con- 
vulsive agitation  she  seemed  to  fall  into  a  swoon,  ceased  to 
breathe,  and  lay  calm  and  motionless  as  a  corpse.  As  she 
recovered  herself  a  sound  was  heard,  as  if  issuing  from  her 
breast,  and  she  commonly  awoke  singing.  We  asked  her 
for  some  account  of  what  she  had  seen  in  her  last  visit. 
Without  hesitation  she  began  a  narrative  of  her  journey  to 
heaven,  which  greatly  resembled  some  of  Mohammed's  de- 
scriptions. She  went  over  a  very  high  and  beautiful  bridge, 
which  appeared  to  be  made  of  ivory.  She  entered  paradise, 
where  she  beheld  the  angels  flying  about  in  all  directions, 
and  heard  companies  of  them  singing.  On  her  arrival  she 
was  presented  with  bread  as  white  as  snow  and  exceedingly 
deHcious,  which  she  ate  every  day,  and  by  which  she  was 
nourished,  so  as  to  have  no  need  nor  aj)petite  for  earthly 
food.  The  most  remarkable  occurrence  was  that  a  beautiful 
and  majestic  person,  whom  she  took  to  be  our  Saviour,  came 


104  RETKOSPECT. 

to  her,  and  gave  her  a  white  flower,  which  she  took  to  hr  u 
token  of  his  love.  On  heing  requested  to  sing  one  of  the 
tunes  which  she  had  learnt  in  heaven,  she  complied  without 
reluctance  ;  uttering  in  a  soft  and  somewhat  melodious  voice 
a  strain,  which  however  consisted  of  only  a  few  notes  con- 
tinually repeated.  Being  then  accustomed  to  learn  tunes 
by  ear,  I  caught  up  this  strain,  and  could  repeat  it,  but 
have  long  since  forgotten  it.  This  was  no  doubt  a  case  of 
epilepsy,  which  continued  more  than  a  year,  and  then 
gradually  left  her  ;  but  she  did  not  live  long  after  her  re- 
covery." 

In  looldng  back  on  this  visit  to  the  great  city  of 
America,  Mr.  Alexander  was  accustomed  to  say,  that  he 
found  less  of  that  warm  and  impulsive  religion  which  the 
revivals  of  Virginia  had  made  dear  to  him,  than  he  expected. 
But  he  often  recurred  with  pleasure  to  the  animated  piety 
of  Joseph  Eastburn,  and  of  Mrs.  Hodge,  a  venerable  Christian 
lady  of  Philadelphia. 


CHAPTER   SIXTH. 
1791. 

THEOLOGICAL      STUDIES LICENSURE — EARLY     SERMONS ClIARAOTEE      OP 

PREACHING ME.     HOGE LABOURS     IN    BERKELEY ENGAGEMENT     AS 

MISSIONARY. 

AT  the  period  to  which  our  narrative  relates,  the  means 
of  education  for  the  ministry  were  few  and  irregular. 
Mr.  Alexander  enjoyed,  however,  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Gra- 
ham, whom  through  life  he  continued  to  regard  as  the  chief 
instrument  employed  by  Providence  in  educing  and  disci- 
plining his  faculties.  "  For  a  number  of  years,"  he  records, 
"  candidates  for  the  gospel  ministry  had  been  very  few,  so 
that  there  seemed  no  prospect  of  a  supply  to  the  churches, 
when  the  acting  ministry  should  pass  away.  But  now  the 
scene  was  changed.  A  number  of  young  men  who  had 
finished  their  academical  course,  were  arrested  in  their 
career  and  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  truth.  Theso 
were  now  disposed  to  devote  themselves  to  the  important 
business  of  preaching  the  gospel.  This  not  only  furnished  to 
Mr.  Graham  a  pleasing  prospect  as  it  relates  to  the  Church, 
liut  opened  a  field  of  useful  employment  in  preparing  these 


106  THEOLOGICAL    CLASS. 

candidates  for  tlie  ministry.  It  was  a  work  for  which  in  many 
respects  he  was  well  fitted,  and  in  which  he  evidently  took 
much  delight,  especially  when  he  had  pupils  who  received 
instruction  with  docility  and  entered  fully  into  his  views,  and 
explanation  of  doctrines.  For  although  he  constantly  incul- 
cated the  right  and  duty  of  searching  for  the  truth,  free  from 
the  trammels  of  authority,  he  was  never  well  pleased  if  any 
of  them  thought  differently  on  any  subject  from  himself 
A  theological  class  was  formed,  whose  reading  he  directed, 
and  who  attended  at  his  study  on  one  day  of  the  week, 
where  they  read  their  compositions  on  prescribed  subjects, 
and  discussed  subjects  previously  given  out ;  while  he  pre- 
sided, and  in  the  conclusion  gave  his  own  views  of  the 
matter.  By  this  kind  of  training  a  number  of  young  men, 
who  afterwards  were  well  known  and  esteemed  in  the  church, 
were  prepared.  Though  Mr.  Graham  had  a  scientific  turn, 
and  delighted  much  in  experimental  i^hilosophy,  it  was  the 
philosophy  of  the  mind  which  was  his  favourite  study  ;  and 
this  he  had  long  pursued,  not  by  reading  books  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  by  paying  close  attention  to  the  exercises  of  his 
own  mind.  He  had  reduced  his  thoughts  to  a  system, 
which  he  was  fond  of  unfolding  to  his  pupils  ;  so  that  he 
contracted  a  liking  for  this  department  of  philosophy.  His 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  thinking  evidently  gave 
him  a  great  advantage  in  explaining  many  difficulties  which 
are  frequently  met  with  in  religious  experience.  He  was 
not  much  read  in  books,  and  for  many  years  perused  few, 
and  commonly  expressed  a  low  esteem  for  what  he  read. 
There  were  few  authors  of  whom  he  spoke  with  entire  appro- 


MR.  Graham's  views.  107 

bation.  He  continually  recommended  to  his  puj)ils  to  think 
for  themselves,  and  to  depend  on  their  own  resources  rather 
than  on  authors.  On  some  this  had  a  good  effect ;  but  it 
was  a  saying  which  all  could  not  receive.  In  almost  every 
case  his  students  adopted  his  views  of  theology,  and  held 
them  at  least  for  a  while  with  much  confidence.  On  all 
points  he  was  strictly  Calvinistic  ;  but  he  had  his  own  me- 
thod of  explaining  things.  One  of  his  radical  principles  was 
that  the  rational  soul  of  man  can  undergo  no  moral  change, 
except  through  the  influence  of  motives,  or  the  presentation 
through  the  understanding  of  such  objects  as  excite  the 
affections.  He  therefore  scouted  the  opinion  that  in  regen- 
eration there  is  any  physical  operation  on  the  soul  itself,  and 
held  that  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  truth  is  pre- 
sented in  its  true  nature  to  the  rational  mind,  and  when 
thus  perceived  cannot  but  produce  an  effect  correspondent 
with  its  nature.  He  therefore  fully  held  what  has  been 
called  in  some  places  the  ^Light-scheme';  believing  that  all 
moral  changes  must  be  produced  by  new  views,  and  can  be 
produced  in  no  other  way.  But  how  the  dead  soul  could 
have  truth  thus  presented  to  it,  without  being  first  vivified, 
he  did  not  explain.  In  effect,  however,  he  held  with  those 
who  believe  that  all  moral  acts  and  exercises  are  produced 
by  the  operation  of  the  truth,  justly  apprehended,  but  that 
in  order  to  this  a  regenerating  influence  must  be  sent  forth 
to"  render  the  soul  capable  of  such  views  of  truth  as  will  pro- 
duce these  effects. 

"  His  views  of  justification  by  the  imputed  righteousness 
of  Christ  were  very  clear  and  sound  ;  but  he  considered  faith 


108  BOOKS. 

to  be  simply  a  belief  of  the  truth,  under  a  spiritual  appre- 
hension of  its  nature.  Nor  would  he  agree  that  any  affec- 
tion or  emotion  which  flowed  from  such  belief  properly 
belonged  to  its  nature,  as  distinguished  from  other  graces. 
His  idea  of  the  primitive  state  of  man  was,  that  though  an 
accountable  moral  agent  without  any  supernatural  influence, 
he  could  be  preserved  from  falhng,  when  exposed  to  tempta- 
tion, only  by  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  there- 
fore thought  it  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  show  how  a 
human  being,  though  perfectly  holy,  might  be  seduced  into 
sin  when  left  to  himself  The  divine  influence,  which  was 
absolutely  gratuitous,  being  withdrawn,  man,  though  still 
possessing  ability  to  perform  his  duty,  is  exceedingly  liable 
to  be  led  away,  on  account  of  natural  imbecility,  a  compli- 
cated constitution,''"*  and  strong  natural  propensities.  Ke- 
specting  the  whole  mediatorial  work,  Mr.  Graham  was 
entirely  sound  ;  and  in  his  preaching  the  doctrines  of  grace 
were  always  prominent.^'f 

Books  were  scarce,  and  he  mentions  the  inconvenience 
which  it  cost  him  to  carry  a  quarto  copy  of  Blair's  Lectures, 
which  his  preceptor  had  bought  in  Philadelphia.  This  work 
he  read  with  avidity,  but  he  found  that  the  rules  were 
chiefly  such  as  had  already  occurred  to  his  own  mind.  He 
had  perused  Witherspoon's  Lectures  on  Moral  Philosophy, 
which  he  had  transcribed  from  a  manuscript,  as  the  book 
was  not  yet  published.  He  confesses  that  this  subject, 
which  afterwards  occupied  so  much  of  his  attention,  did  no^ 

*  The  manuscript  is  here  doubtful. 

f  MS.  Life  of  the  Rev.  William  Graham. 


STUDIES.  lOS 

then  awaken  any  interest  in  him.  The  remainder  of  the 
summer  was  spent  in  vigorous  study.  There  were  now 
more  than  half  a  dozen  divinity  students,  whose  intercourse 
was  fraternal  and  advantageous.  He  also  exercised  his  gifts 
in  religious  meetings,  generally  with  much  ease  and  fluency  ; 
but  he  records  that  when  on  some  occasions  he  failed,  his 
feehngs  of  mortification  were  excruciating.  It  was  however 
in  such  exercises  as  these  that  he  laid  the  foundation  for 
that  habit  of  extraordinary  extemporaneous  discourse  which 
was  his  grand  peculiarity  as  a  preacher  and  teacher,  and 
which  was  in  no  degree  abated  after  threescore  years  of 
ministry. 

Though  his  health  was  still  unsettled,  he  found  it  neces- 
sary to  devote  himself  with  spirit  to  his  theological  pre- 
parations. Besides  a  compendium  of  Turrettine  in  Latin, 
he  resorted  to  the  Writings  of  Owen  and  Edwards ;  and 
perused  Bates's  Harmony  of  the  Divine  Attributes,  which 
was  one  of  his  favourite  works  as  long  as  he  lived.  He  con* 
versed  almost  daily  with  his  preceptor,  though  the  regular 
meeting  of  the  young  men  in  Mr.  Graham's  study  was  only 
once  a  week.  As  there  was  now  a  class  in  theology,  and  as  other 
young  men  who  had  not  completed  their  academical  course, 
were  pious  and  interested  in  such  subjects,  much  time  was 
spent  in  free  conversation  and  animated  discussion.  "Among 
those  of  the  latter  class,"  says  he,  "  who  were  still  engaged 
in  classical  learning,  was  George  Baxter,  afterwards  so  high- 
ly distinguished  as  a  preacher  and  a  theologian.  He  had  a 
mind  formed  for  accurate  distinctions  and  logical  discussion." 
During  the  year,  besides  other  compositions,  he  wrote  seven 


110  PRESBYTERIAL    TRIALS 

sermons,  which  were  read  before  the  class,  and  criticised  by 
Mr.  Graham.  The  first  of  these  he  preserved  as  a  curiosity  ; 
it  was  on  Acts  xvi.  31,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ," 
etc.  At  the  meeting  in  the  spring  of  1791,  held  at  New 
Monmouth,  he  exhibited  several  of  his  pieces  of  trial,  and 
was  examined  on  the  sciences  and  languages.  With  the 
measure  of  Latin  which  he  then  had  attained,  his  Exegesis. 
as  it  is  oddly  named,  gave  him  no  small  trouble.  His  Criti- 
cal Exercise  was  on  Heb.  vi.  1-7  ;  and  this  also  vexed  him 
considerably,  as  he  spent  much  time  on  the  subject  without 
arriving  at  satisfaction.  His  Popular  Lecture,  or  Homily  as 
it  was  then  called,  was  on  the  difference  between  a  living 
and  a  dead  faith.  "  The  essay,"  says  he,  "  is  I  believe  still 
among  my  old  papers,  and  the  view  taken  of  the  subject  is 
not  materially  difl'erent  from  that  which  I  should  now  take." 
These  preparations  gave  him  more  than  the  usual  amount 
of  trouble,  from  the  low  condition  of  body  in  which  he  still 
found  himself.  In  September  the  Presbytery  met  at  the 
Stone  Mee ting-House  in  Augusta.  He  had  at  this  time 
gone  through  all  his  trials,  except  the  examination  in  the- 
ology and  the  "  popular  sermon."  He  was  however  very 
reluctant  to  be  licensed,  on  account  of  an  abiding  sense  of 
unfitness.  On  this  subject  he  had  many  conversations  with 
Mr.  Graham,  in  which  he  strongly  and  repeatedly  stated  liis 
objections.  But  his  pastor  and  teacher  disregarded  the 
scruples,  and  urged  him  to  enter  on  the  work  of  preaching, 
for  this  among  other  reasons  that  his  health  might  be  con- 
firmed by  travelling  ;  adding  that  he  might  continue  his 
studies  as  usual  and  make  excursions  amono:  the  destitute. 


FIRST    SERMON.  Ill 

as  lie  felt  inclined.  At  this  time  his  stature  was  small  and 
his  whole  appearance  was  strikingly  boyish.  "  The  Presby- 
tery," we  use  his  own  words,  "  had  given  me  a  text  for  a 
popular  sermon  which  I  disliked  exceedingly,  as  it  brought 
to  my  mind  the  circumstance  which  distressed  me  in  the 
view  of  entering  the  ministry,  namely  my  youth  and  boyish 
appearance.  The  text  was  Jeremiah  i.  7,  '  But  the  Lord 
said  unto  me,  Say  not,  I  am  a  child,  for  thou  shalt  go  to  all 
that  I  shall  send  thee,  and  whatsoever  I  command  thee 
thou  shalt  speak/  I  read  the  sermon  from  the  pul23it,  but 
with  very  little  satisfaction  to  myself  As  the  ministers 
were  on  their  way  to  the  Synod,  they  had  not  time  to  ex- 
amine me  on  theology,  and  so  adjourned  to  meet  at  Win- 
chester. When  we  arrived  there  a  meeting  was  held  in  the 
house  of  James  HoUiday,  where  I  was  examined,  principally 
by  the  Kev.  John  Blair  Smith  ;  but  as  he  was  taken  sudden- 
ly ill  before  it  was  concluded,  the  examination  was  continued 
by  Mr.  Hoge.  It  was  then  determined  that  I  should  be 
licensed  in  the  public  congregation,  on  Saturday  morning, 
October  the  first,  1791.  This  was  indeed  a  solemn  day. 
During  the  service  I  was  almost  overwhelmed  with  an  awful 
feeling  of  responsibility  and  unfitness  for  the  sacred  office 
That  afternoon  I  spent  in  the  fields,  in  very  solemn  reflec- 
tion and  earnest  prayer.  My  feelings  were  awful,  and  far 
from  being  comfortable.  1  seemed  to  think,  however,  that 
the  solemn  impressions  of  that  day  would  never  leave  me. 
0  deceitful  heart !  " 

In  regard  to   the  text   abovementioned,  it   is   said  in 
another  manuscript ;  "  It  was  assigned  to  me  by  the  Kev. 


112  ENTRANCE   ON    MINISTRY. 

Samuel  Houston,  not  only  because  of  my  youth,  but  because 
I  had  strongly  remonstrated  against  having  my  trials  hurried 
to  a  conclusion,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  be  licensed  for  several 
years.  The  house  was  full  of  people,  and  the  whole  Synod 
was  present.  "When  I  stood  up  to  answer  the  questions," 
which  were  proposed  by  Dr.  Smith,  though  only  a  corres- 
ponding member,  "  I  felt  as  if  I  could  have  sunk  into  the 
earth."  The  sermon  mentioned  above  was  most  happily  re- 
covered by  us,  among  the  papers  of  the  late  Mrs.  LeGrand. 
It  bears  marks  of  careful  preparation,  though  written  in  a 
hand  as  yet  quite  unformed.  Notwithstanding  the  sugges- 
tion of  the  text,  there  is  a  characteristic  absence  of  all  allu- 
sion to  his  own  youth  or  any  thing  personal.  It  is  a  2)lkin, 
but  clear  and  sensible  discussion  of  that  great  topic,  a  Call 
to  the  Ministry.  Equally  beyond  our  expectation  was  it  to 
recover  the  first  sermon  which  he  ever  wrote,  while  yet  a 
student,  and  of  which  mention  has  been  made.  It  is  upon 
Acts  xvi.  31,  and  bears  the  date,  1790. 

Having  now  been  licensed  as  a  probationer,  it  was  his 
intention  to  return  home  and  devote  himself  to  study  ;  but 
the  purpose  was  overruled  l^y  a  clear  providence.  Tidings 
came  that  the  Rev.  William  Hill  (a  servant  of  Christ  who 
has  gone  to  his  rest  since  we  last  mentioned  his  name)  was 
prevented  by  a  fever  from  continuing  his  labours  in  Berkeley, 
now  Jeilerson  County.  Some  religious  awakening  had  taken 
place  in  that  region,  and  the  neighbouring  ministers  urged 
Mr.  Alexander  to  come  to  their  aid.  Mr.  LeGrand- also  was 
desirous  of  making  an  excursion,  and  offered  an  inviting  field 
'jf  labour  in  his  congregations  of  Opekan  and  Cedar  Creek, 


EARLY   SERMONS.  113 

including  Winchester.  A  revival  had  been  in  progress 
among  his  people  for  some  months.  The  following  is  an 
abridged  record  of  some  of  these  earliest  labours. 

"  After  the  Synod  adjourned,  I  went  with  Mr.  LeGrrand 
to  an  appointment  which  he  had  at  old  Mr.  Feely's,  some 
fifteen  miles  from  Winchester.  He  told  me  that  I  must 
preach,  but  I  positively  refused.  He  said  nothing  at  the 
time,  but  when  the  congregation  was  assembled,  he  arose  and 
said,  ^  Mr.  Alexander,  please  to  come  forward  to  the  table, 
and  take  the  books  and  preach.'  I  knew  not  what  to  do, 
but  rather  than  make  a  disturbance  I  went  forward  and 
preached  my  first  sermon  after  licensure,  from  Galatians  iii. 
24,  ^  Wherefore  the  law  was  our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us 
unto  Christ.'  Among  the  hearers  was  old  General  Morgan, 
whose  residence  was  in  the  vicinity. 

"  My  next  sermon  was  preached  at  Charlestown,  from  the 
text.  Acts  xvi.  31,  ^  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved.'  I  had  prepared  a  skeleton  of  the 
sermon  and  placed  it  before  me  ;  but  the  house  being  open 
a  puff  of  wind  carried  it  away  into  the  midst  of  the  congre- 
gation. /  then  determined  to  take  no  more  paper  into  the 
pulpit  ;  and  this  resolution  I  kept  as  long  as  I  was  a  pastor, 
except  in  a  very  few  instances."*  I  had,  it  is  true,  written 
seven  sermons,  but  had  committed  none  of  them  to  memory, 
and  to  this  day  though  I  have  made  several  efforts  I  have 
never  succeeded  in  getting  a  discourse  by  heart.     Having  of 

*  "  From  that  time  for  twenty  years,  I  never  took  a  note  of  auy  kind  into 
the  pulpit ;  except  that  I  read  my  trial  sermon  at  ordination." — MS.  Remi- 
niscen^es. 

8 


114  MANNER    OF    PREACHING. 

late  been  much  accustomed  to  exhort  in  pubHc,  I  felt  little 
embarrassment  and  went  on  fluently  enough." 

If  we  were  more  fully  provided  with  reports  other  than 
his  own  of  these  early  efforts,  we  should  doubtless  find  that 
in  the  estimation  of  all  who  heard  them  they  were  of  a  high 
order.  So  far  as  he  could  be  drawn  out  to  speak  of  his  own 
performances — a  subject  which  lie  always  avoided — these 
were  equal  to  any  public  endeavours  of  his  life.  Great  in- 
terest was  added  to  his  other  qualities  by  the  juvenile  ap- 
pearance of  the  preacher ;  indeed  he  seemed  but  a  little  boy. 
His  complexion  was  fliir,  his  eye  was  dark  and  penetrating, 
and  his  voice  according  to  every  witness  of  that  period  was 
incomparably  clear  and  flute-like.  It  always  was  both  reso- 
nant and  penetrating,  but  at  this  time  was  of  a  silvery  tone 
both  in  speaking  and  singing.  His  fluency  and  command  of 
words  were  extraordinary  ;  and  in  these  youthful  discourses 
he  gave  full  swing  to  an  imagination  which  he  learned  more 
and  more  to  chasten  in  later  years.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Speece, 
once  speaking  to  us  concerning  his  early  exuberance,  said, 
"  You  think  him  animated  now,  but  if  you  had  heard  him 
in  his  youth,  you  would  compare  him  to  nothing  so  readily 
as  to  a  young  horse  of  high  blood,  let  out  into  a  spacious 
pasture,  exercising  every  muscle,  and  careering  in  every 
dii'ection  with  extravagant  delight.'' 

There  are  no  circumstances  which  bring  out  the  gift  of 
pulpit  eloquence  more  fully  or  speedily  than  those  in  which 
he  was  now  placed.  Going  rapidly  from  assembly  to  assem- 
bly, followed  by  awakened  and  admiring  crowds,  in  times  of 
great  revival,  and  during  all  the  intervals  plying  the  same 


MEETINGS.  115 

work  among  warm  and  affectionate  brethren,  by  conversation, 
prayer  and  praise,  he  was  kept  in  that  state  of  healthful 
and  pleasurable  excitement  which  animates  and  exalts  the 
powers,  and  forms  habits  of  ready  and  powerful  expression. 

So  accustomed  was  he  to  associate  pleasurable  sensations 
with  pulpit-work,  that  even  in  later  years  he  used  to  laugh 
at  the  notion  of  any  one's  being  injured  by  preaching.  And 
it  was  commonly  observed,  through  most  of  his  life,  that 
however  depressed  in  spirits  he  might  be  before  the  service, 
he  always  came  from  it  in  the  highest  state  of  exhilaration. 
Never  was  he  more  free  or  full  in  conversation.  These  were 
the  times  at  which  to  draw  from  him  his  most  elevated  reli- 
gious discourse,  as  well  as  his  liveliest  narratives  ;  and  his 
own  household,  or  those  in  which  he  was  a  guest,  remember 
such  hours  with  a  pensive  delight.  Like  good  Kowland  Hill, 
he  was  cured  of  many  an  ailment  by  the  delivery  of  a  long 
and  animated  sermon. 

After  visiting  Shepherdstown  and  preaching  for  Dr. 
Hoge,  he  returned  to  Frederick,  to  supply  Mr.  LeGrand's 
place  according  to  appointment.  Gladly  would  we  multiply 
such  recitals  as  that  which  follows  :  ^^  The  weeks  which  I 
spent  at  Opekan  passed  pleasantly.  Besides  the  services  of 
the  Sabbath  we  had  a  weekly  meeting  at  Major  Gilkin's. 
These  were  delightful  gatherings,  for  the  presence  of  God 
seemed  to  be  with  us.  I  remember  one  meeting  in  particular 
in  which  all.  present  seemed  to  be  melted  down  in  a  remark- 
able manner.  On  one  of  the  days  on  which  I  attended  there, 
an  old  man,  after  sermon,  told  me  that  he  wished  to  speak 
with  me.     He  led  me  as  far  from  the  house  as  lie  could  do 


116  A    CONVERTED    FAMILY. 

without  crossing  a  high  fence,  and  then  burst  into  tears, 
saying,  '  I  am  a  poor  old  sinner  ! '  His  weeping  was  so  pro- 
fuse that  he  could  say  no  more,  except  to  rec[uest  me  to  visit 
him  at  his  own  house.  This  I  promised,  and  next  day  I 
found  my  way  through  a  desolate  pine  wood  and  an  intricate 
path,  to  the  dwelling,  where  the  poor  old  man  was  trying  to 
spell  out  some  sentences  in  the  New  Testament.  He  said 
that  he  was  unable  to  read,  but  could  spell  a  little,  and  thus 
could  make  out  some  things  which  gave  him  much  satisfac- 
tion. But  he  informed  me  that  his  boys,  who  w^ere  now 
absent,  could  read  pretty  well,  and  that  they  had  spent 
nearly  all  the  preceding  night  over  the  New  Testament  ;  for 
his  sons  were  as  anxious  to  learn  as  himself  The  old  woman 
was  busy  spinning  on  a  flax  wheel,  and  continued  to  work 
while  I  conversed  with  her  husband.  At  length  I  turned  to 
her  with  the  words,  '  And  what  does  your  wife  think  of  these 
things  ?  '  She  immediately  ceased  from  her  work,  and  burst 
into  tears,  but  answered  not  a  word.  Here  was  a  family,  of 
which  the  heads  had  grown  gray  without  having  ever  at- 
tended public  worship  ;  and  who  until  now  knew  no  more  of 
a  Saviour  than  the  heathen.  But  they  were  now  like  persons 
come  into  a  new  w^orld.  Indeed  all  their  views  and  feelings 
were  entirely  new.  Salvation  had  come  to  their  house.  I 
learned  that  a  multitude  of  poor  people  lived  in  these  pines, 
who  seldom  heard  a  sermon  except  when  some  itinerant 
Methodist  passed  through  the  settlement.  I  was  desirous  to 
preach  to  them  ;  and  the  opportunity  was  afforded  by  an 
invitation  to  the  house  of  a  Mrs  Carlisle,  the  wife  of  a 
Quaker  miller,  who  had  been  read  out  of  meeting  for  marry- 


CONVERT    OF    WHITEFIELD.  117 

ing  a  person  not  of  the  Society.  But  he  retained  all  his 
attachments  to  Quakerism,  and  was  rather  crusty  towards 
his  wife  when  she  wished  to  have  Presbyterian  ministers  at 
the  house,  and  commonly  went  out  of  the  way.  Mrs.  Car- 
lisle's mother,  Mrs.  Douglass,  lived  with  her,  a  convert  of 
Whitefield,  and  a  woman  of  uncommon  piety.  From  her  I 
heard  much  about  the  preaching  of  that  great  man.  She 
had  resided  at  White  Clay  Creek,  where  Charles  Tennent 
was  minister,  and  where  Mr.  Whitefield  preached  several 
days  in  succession  to  thousands  of  people.  The  old  lady 
was  now  and  had  long  been  a  Seceder.  Knowing  the 
opposition  of  that  people  to  Whitefield,  I  thought  it  sur- 
prising that  one  of  his  admirers  should  have  joined  herself  to 
them.  But  she  thus  explained  it.  The  opposers  of  the 
revival,  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  were  called  the  Old 
Side,  and  where  she  lived  they  had  manifested  a  malignant 
opposition  to  the  work  of  grace,  insomuch  that  the  new  con- 
verts considered  the  Old  Side  as  the  declared  enemies  of  the 
revival.  But  after  some  time  a  union  was  effected,  which  so 
ofiended  some  of  the  zealous  disciples  of  Whitefield,  that 
when  about  the  same  time  the  Seceders  made  their  appear- 
ance, they  were  joined  by  the  disaffected  persons,  Mrs. 
Douglass  being  included.  She  was  the  mother  of  James 
and  Daniel  Douglass,  of  Alexandria,  Ya.,  and  the  grand- 
mother of  the  Rev.  James  W.  Douglass,  who  died  at  Fay- 
etteville  some  years  since." 

After  supplying  Mr.  LeGrand's  pulpit  until  his  return, 
Mr.  Alexander  proceeded  to  aid  his  friend  Mr.  Hill,  preach- 
ing often  in  private   houses,  and  sometimes   in  the  small 


118  STUDY    OF    SERMONS. 

Presbyterian  church  at  Charles  town.  "  Here,"  says  he,  "  1 
first  saw  old  John  Wliite,  the  father  of  Judge  White  of  Win- 
chester, and  grandfather  of  the  minister  at  Komney,  in 
Hampshire.  The  whole  White 'family  were  remarkable  foi 
strength  of  mind  and  acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures. 
The  old  gentleman  had  Erskine's  Gospel  Sonnets  by  heart, 
and  was  eminent  for  simple  piety.  I  think  he  dated  his 
religious  impressions  from  hearing  Mr.  Eobinson,  the  first 
regular  Presbyterian  minister  who  entered  Virginia.  I 
was  now  in  the  region  where  I  was  to  labour,  and  made  my 
home  at  Alexander  White's,  the  son  of  the  fore-mentioned. 
The  winter  was  hard,  and  the  farm-houses  in  which  I 
preached  during  the  week  were  very  uncomfortable  places 
for  speaking.  The  attention  of  the  common  people  was 
awake  for  a  considerable  distance  around,  but  they  were 
generally  very  ignorant  of  the  doctrines  of  religion,  and  my 
preaching  was  more  of  the  didactic  than  the  hortatory  kind. 
I  had  no  books  with  me  but  my  small  pocket  Bible,  and 
found  veiy  little  to  read  in  the  houses  where  I  stopped.  I 
was  therefore  thrown  back  entirely  on  my  own  thoughts.  I 
studied  every  sermon  on  horseback,  and  in  bed  before  I  went 
to  sleep,  and  some  of  the  best  sermons  that  I  ever  prepared 
were  digested  in  this  way  and  at  this  time.'' 

In  reading  records  like  these  we  are  led  to  see  the  force 
of  such  remarks  as  those  of  the  Bev.  Dr.  Hall,  who  says, 
"  It  deserves  to  be  noted  by  all  ministers  and  candidates, 
that  one  of  the  chief  external  means  by  which  Dr.  Alexan- 
der attained  what  are  often  called  his  inimitable  excellencies 
as  a  preacher,  was  his  spending  several  years  after  licensure 


COMPENSATION.  119 

and  ordination,  in  itinerant  missionary  service,  preaching  in 
the  Ifumblest  and  most  destitute  places,  often  in  the  open 
air,  and  adapting  his  language  and  manner  to  minds  that 
needed  the  plainest  kind  of  instruction.  It  will  be  a  good 
day  for  the  ministry  and  the  church,  when  the  performance 
of  a  term  of  such  itinerant  service  shall  be  exacted  as  part 
of  the  trials  of  every  probationer  before  ordination."'^ 

In  a  record  contained  in  another  manuscript,  the  same 
subject  is  touched.  "  Some  of  the  sermons  which  I  most 
frequently  preached  during  my  ministry  I  studied  out  this 
winter,  without  putting  pen  to  paper.  Indeed  I  had  no 
opportunity  to  write  sermons.  The  houses  in  which  I  lodged 
had  but  one  [sitting  room],  and  I  remained  but  a  short  time 
at  any  one  place.  When  Mr.  Hill  returned  from  Charlotte, 
I  was  at  liberty  to  give  up  the  field  which  I  had  occupied  ; 
but  the  winter  w^as  severe  and  travelling  unpleasant,  and  Mr. 
Hoge  urged  me  to  continue  in  the  neighbourhood  until 
spring.  For  all  the  labours  of  the  winter  I  received  not 
one  cent,  and  indeed  expected  nothing.  But  as  I  came 
from  home  without  expecting  to  be  long  absent,  I  found  that 
if  I  remained  I  must  provide  myself  with  some  articles  of 
clothing.  Upon  my  mentioning  this  as  a  reason  for  return- 
ing home,  Mr.  Hoge  took  me  to  a  store  and  became  respon- 
sible for  what  I  needed  ;  and  as  soon  as  I  returned  home  I 
sent  him  the  money  which  was  due. 

"  While  I  remained  I  continued  to  preach  frequently,  for 
Mr.  Hoge,  for  Mr.  Hill,  and  for  old  Mr.  Vance  of  Tuscarora, 

*  Sermon  on  the  death  of  Dr.  Alexander,  in  '  Home,  the  School,  and  the 
Church,'  Vol.  iii.  p.  98. 


120  MB.   HOGE. 

who  then  lay  upon  his  death-bed.  In  his  congregation  1 
met  with  one  Robert  Campbell,  whose  memory  was  prodi- 
gious. The  Rev.  Dr.  McKnight  had  formerly  been  his 
pastor,  and  was  held  by  him  in  great  admiration.  Campbell 
could  repeat  many  of  the  Doctor's  sermons  verbatim.  After 
removing  to  New- York  Dr.  McKnight  resolved  to  publish 
several  sermons  on  Faith,  but  he  had  lost  the  manuscript  of 
one  among  them.  He  had  recourse  to  Mr.  Campbell,  who 
supplied  what  was  missing,  and,  as  I  was  informed,  with 
great  exactness.'' 

There  were  few  of  Dr.  Alexander's  early  friends  and 
counsellors  of  whom  he  spoke  oftener  or  more  affectionately 
than  Mr.  Hoge,  the  father  of  the  President.  "  As  Mr.  Hoge 
lived  only  eleven  miles  from  Charlestown,  the  centre  of  my 
operations, — ^here  we  resume  his  own  narrative, — ^^  whenever 
I  could  get  a  day  or  two  I  would  spend  it  at  his  house,  and 
though  he  was  very  poor  and  lived  on  a  mere  pittance,  he 
always  received  me  kindly  and  gave  me  free  use  of  his  books. 
But  my  highest  privilege  was  his  conversation  ;  in  which  he 
assumed  no  magisterial  air,  but  treated  me  as  if  I  had  been 
his  equal.  His  disposition  was  in  contrast  with  that  of  Mr. 
Graham,  who  was  very  dogmatical,  treated  with  contempt 
all  opinions  which  he  rejected,  and  was  impatient  of  con- 
tradiction. But  Mr.  Hoge  patiently  and  candidly  listened 
to  every  argument  and  objection  brought  against  his  opin- 
ions, and  proposed  his  own  views  with  so  much  modesty  that 
I  felt  altogether  at  my  ease  in  conversing  with  him.  He 
caused  me  still  more  to  hesitate  about  certain  opinions  which 
T   had   heard    proposed   by  my  teacher  ;    and  this  not  by 


SPIRITUAL    ILLUMINATION.  121 

making  any  direct  attack  on  them,  but  by  gently  insinuating 
doubts  and  considerations  which  led  me  to  a  more  thorough 
inquiry.  One  of  these  opinions  was  that  regeneration  is 
produced  by  light.  Mr.  Graham  always  ridiculed  the  idea 
of  a  moral  change  being  produced  in  any  other  way  than  by 
motives  or  a  view  of  the  truth.  This  seemed  to  some  as  evi- 
dent as  an  axiom  ;  but  Mr.  Hoge  stated  difficulties  about 
this  light.  How  can  light  shine  into  a  blind  mind,  without 
some  previous  operation  on  that  mind  ?  The  natural  man 
cannot  know  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  because  they 
are  spiritually  discerned  ;  and  before  they  can  be  spiritually 
discerned  the  eyes  of  the  mind  must  be  opened.  It  is  true 
that  all  pious  exercises  are  produced  by  a  view  of  the  truth, 
but  this  view  of  the  truth  is  the  effect  of  regeneration,  not 
the  cause  ;  unless  we  confound  regeneration  and  conversion. 
The  Spirit  of  God,  by  an  instantaneous  touch,  prepares  the 
soul  to  apprehend  the  truth.  By  an  act  of  omnipotence  he 
communicates  spiritual  life,  and  the  soul  thus  quickened, 
begins  to  see  with  new  eyes,  and  experience  new  emotions  and 
affections.  These  views  1  have  entertained  since  my  youth  ; 
being  intermediate  between  two  extremes  ;  first,  that  we  are 
regenerated  by  light  let  into  the  mind,  or  by  a  presentation 
of  the  truth  objectively  to  the  soul ;  and  secondly,  as  the 
Hopkinsians  maintain,  that  the  understanding  needs  no 
change,  but  to  have  the  truth  doctrinally  apprehended  ;  that 
all  depravity  is  in  the  heart,  and  therefore  that  regeneration 
is  merely  a  change  of  the  heart  or  feelings,  while  the  views  of 
the  understanding  remain  as  they  were  before  regeneration. 
"  As  I  had  an  ardent  thirst  for  knowledge,  the  time  which 


122  END   OF    TOUR. 

I  spent  under  this  quiet  roof  was  diligently  employed  ir. 
reading  and  conversation  ;  except  when  we  attended  religious 
meetings,  in  which  Mr.  Hoge  took  great  delight,  being  grat- 
ified when  there  was  the  least  appearance  of  lively  feeling. 
He  seemed  never  to  be  discouraged,  and  surely  did  not  de- 
spise the  day  of  small  things.  At  this  day,  when  books  are 
so  abundant,  it  may  surprise  some  to  learn  that  until  now  I 
had  never  seen  a  copy  of  the  Septuagint  ;  and  that  which 
Mr.  Hoge  had  was  not  complete.  I  seized  it  with  great 
avidity,  and  read  as  much  as  I  could  during  the  time  I  spent 
there.  Here  I  also  read  Chrysostom  on  the  Priesthood,  in 
an  English  translation  ;  so  that  Mason  errs  in  saying  that 
his  is  the  first  translation  ever  made  into  English.  This 
work  produced  a  very  solemn  impression  on  my  mind,  but  it 
seemed  to  relate  [to  matters]  of  which  before  I  had  no  con- 
ception. I  also  read  Kiccaltoun's  Exposition  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Galatians,  and  with  considerable  profit." 

From  a  private  record  of  texts  and  places,  we  find  that 
in  the  first  fifteen  months  of  his  ministry  he  preached  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  sermons. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1791,  he  turned  his  face  home- 
ward, having  preached  all  winter  without  stipend.  "  In- 
deed," says  he,  "  I  never  thought  of  compensation  for  what 
I  did,  not  considering  my  labours  as  of  any  real  value."  At 
Millerstown,  or  Woodstock,  as  it  is  now  called,  he  was  de- 
tained some  days  by  a  flood.  He  lodged  with  a  Mr.  Morris, 
from  Newcastle  in  the  Northern  Neck,  the  only  Presbyterian 
in  those  parts,  except  the  German  Keformed.  He  preached 
in  a  house  belonging  to  the  Germans.     The  village  was  at 


STAUNTON.  123 

that  day  noted  for  irreligion  and  wantonness.  On  his  way 
to  Lexington  he  stopped  at  Staunton.  The  town  contained 
no  place  of  worship  but  an  Episcopal  church,  which  was 
without  a  minister.  "  It  was  proposed/'  he  continues,  "  that 
I  should  preach  in  the  little  Episcopal  church  ;  to  which  I 
consented  with  some  trepidation  ;  but  when  I  entered  the 
house  in  the  evening  it  was  crowded,  and  all  the  gentry  of 
the  town  were  out,  including  Judge  Archibald  Stuart,  who 
had  known  me  from  a  child.  I  took  for  my  text,  '  What  is 
a  man  profited,'  &c.  My  first  head  was  to  show  the  worth 
of  the  soul,  the  second  how  it  might  be  lost,  and  the  third 
the  unprofitableness  of  all  other  acquisitions,  if  the  soul 
should  be  lost.  As  I  was  very  young,  not  yet  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  my  friends  were  well  known  here,  I  was  heard 
with  great  attention.  In  speaking  of  the  worth  of  the  soul, 
I  undertook  to  give  a  brief  analysis  of  its  powers.  Judge 
Stuart  expressed  surprise  that  I  should  know  any  thing  of 
the  philosophy  of  the  mind,  a  science  then  little  cultivated. 
But  it  had  been  the  favourite  study  of  Mr.  Graham,  my 
preceptor ;  who,  while  he  read  httle  on  other  subjects,  had 
sent  for  the  writings  of  Keid  and  Beattie  which  had  just 
come  out.  After  reading  these,  however,  he  planned  a  sys- 
tem of  his  own,  remarkable  for  its  simplicity  and  perspicuity, 
which  he  communicated  to  all  his  students  ;  and  this  gave 
my  mind  a  turn  to  this  study  which  may  account  for  any 
proficiency  I  may  have  since  made  in  it." 

It  would  be  unpardonable  to  omit  the  account  of  his 
return  home,  given  by  the  subject  of  the  narrative  himself. 
"  When  I  reached  home,"  so  he  wrote  almost  half  a  century 


124  PREACHING    AT    HOME. 

after  the  event,  "  there  was  a  great  curiosity  in  men,  wo- 
men,  and  children,  to  hear  me  preach.  They  had  often 
heard  me  speak  in  public,  but  preaching  was  another  thing. 
Accordingly,  on  the  next  Lord's  Day  a  great  congregation 
filled  the  Court  House,  which  was  then  used  for  public  wor- 
ship, for  at  that  time  there  was  no  church  in  the  place.  My 
text  was  John  ix.  25,  '  One  thing  I  know,  that  whereas  I 
was  blind,  now  I  see.'  My  delivery  in  those  days  was  fluent 
and  rapid.  I  never  appeared  to  hesitate  or  be  at  a  loss  for 
words  ;  my  thoughts  flowed  too  fast  for  me.  I  laboured 
under  two  great  faults  as  a  public  speaker  ;  the  first  was 
extreme  rapidity  of  utterance,  not  so  much  from  indistinct 
articulation  as  neglect  of  pauses.  I  ran  on  till  I  was  per- 
fectly out  of  breath,  so  that  before  I  was  done  my  inhala- 
tions became  audible  ;  the  other  fault  was  looking  steadily 
down  upon  the  floor.  This  arose  from  a  fear  of  losing  the 
train  of  my  thought  ;  for  my  sermons  were  closely  studied, 
though  not  written.  My  voice,  though  not  sonorous,  was 
uncommonly  distinct  and  clear,  so  that  without  painful  ex- 
ertion I  could  be  heard  in  the  largest  churches,  or  by  a  great 
assembly  out  of  doors.  I  preached  but  one  other  Sabbath 
in  my  native  county,  and  that  was  not  in  the  town,  but  at 
Oxford  meeting-house.  I  had  very  little  knowledge  of  the 
estimation  in  which  my  preaching  was  held,  and  was  always 
surprised  to  hear  of  a  favourable  opinion  expressed  by  any 
one  ;  for  I  was  so  conscious  of  my  own  defects,  that  often 
after  preaching  I  was  ashamed  to  come  down  from  the 
pulpit,  and  wondered  that  any  could  speak  kindly  to  me." 
"  As  my  health  was  now  good,  and  I  had  no  thought  of 


MISSIONARY    WORK.  125 

taking  a  pastoral  charge,  I  embraced  an  offer  to  travel  as  an 
itinerant  missionary  in  Eastern  Virginia.  This  mission  was 
in  pursuance  of  a  plan  adopted  by  the  Synod  of  Virginia, 
at  their  second  meeting,  in  1789.  "  There  was  a  Commis- 
sion to  superintend  this  important  matter,  by  whom  were 
appointed,  successively,  Mr.  LeGrand,  Mr.  Hill,  Mr.  Gary 
Allen,  Mr. .  Marshall,  Mr.  John  Lyle,  and  Mr.  Alexander. 
Kespecting  the  last  named,  the  minutes  contain  this  state- 
ment, under  date  April  9,  1792  :  'Upon  motion,  the  Gom-^ 
mission  elected  Mr.  Archibald  Alexander,  a  probationer 
under  care  of  Lexington  Presbytery,  to  the  office  of  mis- 
sionary ;  upon  condition  that  the  Presbytery  recommend  him. 
Mr.  Graham  and  Mr.  John  Lyle  are  directed  to  apply  to  the 
Presbytery  for  such  recommendation.'-*' 

"  The  common  sentiment  was  against  my  remaining 
at  home  in  study,  and  Mr.  Graham  urged  me  to  accept  the 
appointment.  Another  young  preacher,  Benjamin  Grigsby, 
a  friend  and  acquaintance  of  mine  from  my  youth,  had  re- 
ceived license  in  the  spring,  and  he  and  I  were  sent  together 
to  preach  to  a  people  of  whom  we  knew  nothing.  Grigsby 
was  a  young  man  of  talents  and  scholarship,  and  was  also 
a  fine  speaker,  and  possessed  of  easy  and  popular  manners. 
In  the  theological  class  which  studied  under  Mr.  Graham  he 
was  undoubtedly  the  favourite  of  his  teacher.  But  though 
respected,  he  was  never  much  a  favourite  with  his  associates. 
lie  was  two  years  my  senior,  but  I  was  licensed  six  months 
before  him.  Our  directions  were  to  proceed  to  Petersburg, 
and  there  separate.  While  he  went  eastward  from  that  place, 

*  See  Foote's  Sketches  of  Virginia,  p.  529. 


126  AMHERST. 

I  was  to  turn  westward,  along  the  North  Carolina  line 
Being  both  furnished  with  good  horses  and  other  appoint- 
ments, we  took  our  departure  from  old  Mr.  Grigsby's  on 
Hart's  Bottom.  Our  first  effort  was  to  cross  the  Blue  Bidge 
at  Prior's  Gap,  over  the  steepest  part  of  the  mountain,  by 
a  bridle-path.  We  found  no  difficulty,  as  we  both  had  been 
accustomed  to  mountain  climbing.  For  hours  however  we 
talked  but  little,  as  it  was  necessary  to  ride  singly  in  the 
path.  We  had  been  advised  to  lodge  the  first  night  on  the 
Amherst  side  of  the  Bidge  at  the  house  of  Captain  David 
Crawford,  several  of  whose  sons  had  been  at  the  Academy, 
and  of  whom  one  was  now  an  Episcopal  minister.  We 
were  kindly  received  by  the  family,  especially  by  the  young 
parson  of  the  parish,  who  laid  himself  out  to  make  us  com- 
fortable. Appointments  for  us  to  preach  in  his  church 
had  been  sent  on,  for  we  were  so  ignorant,  that  it  never  oc- 
curred to  us  that  any  objection  could  arise.  Let  it  be  noted, 
that  there  was  not  then  any  Episcopal  minister  in  Bock- 
bridge  or  Augusta.  Mr.  Charles  Crawford  had  received  the 
notice  and  published  it  to  his  small  congregation,  near  the 
Tobacco  Bow  Mountain.  He  also  accompanied  us  to  the 
church,  where  we  found  about  twenty  respectable  planters, 
to  whom  Mr.  Grigsby  preached.  After  service,  Mr.  Crawford, 
having  first  conversed  with  the  few  people  who  were  out, 
came  and  presented  in  a  very  formal  manner  the  thanks  of 
the  congregation  to  Mr.  Grigsby  for  his  excellent  sermon. 
The  next  day  young  Mr.  Crawford  gave  us  letters  to  an  ac- 
quaintance at  whose  house  we  might  lodge,  and  then  took 
his  horse  and  accompanied  us  part  of  the  way." 


PRINCE   EDWARD.  127 

The  next  day  our  young  travellers  reached  the  mansion 
of  Colonel  WiUiam  Cabell,  of  whom  the  manuscript  notes 
that  he  was  the  grandfather  of  Doctors  John,  Robert  and 
William  Breckinridge,  and  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Paulina 
Eead,  afterwards  Mrs.  LeGrrand  ;  names  which  cannot  be 
omitted  in  any  contribution  to  Presbyterian  annals.  Crossing 
the  James  River  at  Warminster  they  reached  the  house  of 
Colonel  Joseph  Cabell,  and  thence  proceeded  to  their  lodgings 
at  the  New  Store.  The  manners  and  customs  of  that  re- 
gion have  changed  since  the  statements  which  follow  were 
penned.  "  We  were  not  aware  that  this  neighbourhood  was 
famous  for  the  abuse  of  travellers.  At  an  ^ordinary' not 
more  than  a  mile  from  the  place,  on  the  great  Buckingham 
road,  a  set  of  fellows  used  to  meet  for  carousal,  who  never 
failed  to  maltreat  any  traveller  who  came  to  the  house.  One 
night  they  caught  an  old  man  named  Ross,  from  Richmond, 
and  held  him  in  the  well  for  some  time  with  his  head  down- 
ward. Another  stranger  they  threatened  to  throw  into  the 
well,  unless  he  would  consent  to  dance  for  them  ;  and  at 
this  exercise  they  kept  him  until  a  late  hour  of  the  night ; 
when  some  intermission  being  allowed,  he  slipped  out  to  the 
stable,  saddled  his  horse  and  fled,  being  forced  to  swim  over 
the  Appomatox  River." 

The  next  morning  brought  them  to  the  hospitable  man- 
sion of  old  Mrs.  Venable,  on  the  edge  of  Prince  Edward 
County.  She  was  of  the  Michaux  family  and  a  descendant 
of  Huguenots  who  had  settled  on  the  James  River  ;  a  ma- 
tron of  great  shrewdness,  information  and  piety.  Her  hus- 
band had  long  been  dead,  and  her  children  were  grown  up. 


128  SAMUEL    VENABLE. 

There  was  an  importa-nt  vacancy,  caused  by  the  resignatior 
of  Dr.  John  B.  Smith,  who  had  served  the  united  congre- 
gations of  Cumberland  and  Briery.  Mr.  Grigsby  was  sent 
to  the  former  and  Mr.  Alexander  to  the  latter  ;  little  sup- 
posing, as  he  records,  that  he  should  ever  become  their  pastor, 
as  he  was  not  seeking  for  a  settlement.  On  Sunday  evening 
he  went  to  Little  Koanoke  Bridge,  and  became  first  ac- 
quainted wdth  Mrs.  Paulina  Read,  whose  name  must  often 
be  mentioned  in  these  pages.  He  preached  at  the  house  of 
old  Mrs.  Morton,  where  he  had  attended  a  meeting  in  1789. 
On  Wednesday  he  preached  to  a  small  congregation  at 
Hampden  Sidney  College.  But  the  instructions  of  the 
young  missionaries  did  not  permit  them  to  spend  more  than 
one  Sabbath  among  these  "  affectionate  and  delightful  peo- 
ple," and  they  directed  their  course  towards  Petersburg. 

During  this  brief  visit  Mr.  Alexander  became  acquainted 
with  Col.  Samuel  Venable,  a  man  of  great  distinction,  whom 
he  used  to  name  in  connection  with  Graham,  Hoge  and 
Smith,  the  counsellors  of  his  youth.  His  notes  concerning 
this  invaluable  friend  have  great  interest,  and  cannot  be 
inserted  in  a  more  suitable  place.  "  Three  brothers  were 
among  the  first  settlers  in  Prince  Edward.  Nathaniel  owned 
the  place  on  which  the  Court  House  was  built,  and  was 
for  a  long  time  an  elder  in  the  church,  and  represented  the 
county  in  the  Legislature.     He  was  also  an  active  trustee 

of  Hampden  Sidney  College Samuel  was  his 

oldest  son,  wdio,  though  grown  up  when  Samuel  Stanhope 
Smith  opened  the  Academy  of  Hampden  Sidney,  betook 
himself  to   learning,  and  followed  Smith  on   his  removal   to 


SAMUEL   VENABLE.  129 

Princeton,  where  he  was  graduated  [in  1780],  as  were  also 
three  of  his  brothers,  Abram,  Richard  and  Nathaniel.  Wil- 
liam and  Thomas  were  alumni  of  Hampden  Sidney. 

"  Samuel  Yenable  intended  to  study  law,  but  was  led  by 
some  circumstances  to  engage  in  merchandise.  This  busi- 
ness he  carried  on  in  a  very  judicious  manner,  so  as  to  ac- 
cumulate a  large  estate.  He  was  a  man  of  clear  head  and 
sound  judgment,  and  had  made  observations  on  the  charac- 
ters of  men  as  they  passed  before  him  ;  and  these  obser- 
vations he  had  reduced  to  maxims.  He  was  confident  in 
the  opinions  which  he  had  formed,  but  not  inclined  to 
dispute  with  those  who  did  not  agree  with  him.  He  used 
to  say  that  when  a  young  man  he  was  fond  of  disputation, 
and  thought  he  could  bring  others  to  see  as  he  did,  but  that 
after  some  experience  he  found  it  to  be  vain,  and  therefore 
suffered  others  undisturbedly  to  enjoy  their  own  opinions. 
His  wife  was  the  daughter  of  the  elder  judge  Paul  Carring- 
ton,  and  sister  of  the  younger ;  a  woman  of  uncommon 
vivacity,  wit,  and  power  of  sarcasm.  They  had  twelve 
children. 

"  When  Col.  Venable  was  about  fifty  years  of  age,  he 
thought  of  giving  up  active  business,  and  retiring  to  pursue 
a  course  of  reading  and  study,  which  a  busy  mercantile  life 
had  prevented.  He  therefore  placed  a  younger  brother  in 
the  firm,  and  built  for  himself  an  office  or  study  separate 
from  his  dwelling,  where  he  anticipated  much  repose  and 
gratification.  But  the  event  was  difierent.  After  quitting 
business  he  fell  into  a  hypochondriac  state,  in  which  he 
fancied  that  his  lungs  were  ulcerated,  and  that  he  could 


130  SAMUEL    VENABLE. 

designate  the  precise  spot  where  the  disease  was  seated.  He 
was  a  mail  of  robust  frame,  and  had  a  broad  projecting 
chest,  and  no  symptoms  of  any  real  pulmonary  disease. 
The  opinions  of  friends  and  even  of  physicians  had  no  effect 
to  convince  him  of  his  error ;  he  persisted  in  maintaining  his 
opinion.  At  tliis  time  his  nerves  became  so  affected,  that 
he  could  scarcely  sit  still  for  a  few  minutes.  He  kept  a 
horse  saddled  at  the  door,  and  whatever  company  he  had  lie 
would  abruptly  leave  them  when  the  fit  seized  him,  and 
would  ride  for  miles.  Nothing  seemed  to  relieve  him  except 
smoking  the  pipe,  a  thing  which  before  this  he  abhorred. 

The  disease  received  no  effectual  check  until 

he  was  induced  to  engage  again  in  active  business,  which 
occupied  his  attention ;  and  a  portion  of  his  former  cheerful- 
ness returned.  But  he  never  afterwards  possessed  the  firm- 
ness and  confidence  which  had  characterized  him  before. 
He  died  suddenly  at  the  Virginia  Springs,  leaving  a  large 
family  well  provided  for." 

During  the  whole  of  his  life  Dr.  Alexander  was  accus- 
tomed to  speak  of  Col.  Venable  as  the  most  remarkable 
instance  of  wisdom  matured  by  experience  and  observation, 
that  he  had  ever  known  ;  in  which  respect  he  was  fond  of 
comparing  him  with  Franklin.  The  descendants  of  the 
three  brothers  above  mentioned  now  amount  to  some  hun- 
dreds in  Virginia  and  the  new  States  ;  and  of  these  a 
remarkable  number  are  zealous  and  efficient  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 
1792. 

MISSIONAEY     TOUR LUNENBUEG THE     MILLWRIGHT — OAPT.     CRAIGHEAD 

MR.    HUNT WILLIAM   COWAN NOTTOWAY AMELIA PETERSBURG MR. 

JARRATT MECKLENBURG MR.    PATILLO. 

FROM  Prince  Edward  the  young  preachers  went  towards 
Lunenburg.  Before  sunset  they  arrived  at  the  house  of 
a  Mr.  Yarborough,  a  Baptist  of  some  wealth,  who  received 
them  with  Christian  and  Virginian  hospitahty.  Here  they 
gained  acquaintance  with  a  man  whose  case  is  too  remarkable 
and  characteristic  of  the  times  to  be  omitted.  And  as  the 
memorandums  of  Dr.  Alexander  respecting  his  contemporaries 
furnish  flicts  which  would  otherwise  be  entirely  lost,  we  feel 
justified  in  frequently  turning  aside  to  diversify  our  story  by 
such  episodes. 

"  Mr.  Yarborough  took  occasion  to  inform  us  that  there 
was  a  Baptist  preacher  in  his  employment  as  a  millwright, 
who  would  be  at  the  house  as  soon  as  his  work  was  finished. 
Accordingly  about  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  an  old  man  in 
coarse  garb,  with  leathern  apron,  and  laden  with  tools,  entered 
the  house  and  took  his  seat  on  the  stairs.     Neither  Mr, 


132  ANOTHER    MILLWRIGHT. 

Grigsby  nor  T  had  ever  been  acquainted  with  uneducated 
preachers,  and  we  were  stnick  with  astonishment  that  this 
carpenter  should  pretend  to  preach.  When  we  retired,  Mr. 
Shelburne,  such  was  his  name,  was  put  into  the  same  room 
with  us.  I  felt  an  avidity  to  question  him  respecting  hia 
call  to  the  ministry,  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  old  man 
was  ignorant.  I  therefore  began  by  asking  him  what  he 
considered  a  call  to  the  ministry.  Mr.  Shelburne  perceived 
the  drift  of  my  question,  and  instead  of  giving  a  general 
answer  proceeded  to  a  narrative  of  his  own  experience,  and 
to  state  the  circumstances  which  led  him  to  suppose  that 
God  had  called  him  to  be  a  preacher.  The  substance  of  his 
story  was  as  follows  : 

"  ^  I  was  born  in  one  of  the  lower  counties  of  Virginia, 
and  when  young  was  put  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade. 
Until  I  was  a  man  grown  and  had  a  family,  I  never  heard 
any  preaching  but  from  ministers  of  the  Established  Church, 
and  did  not  even  know  that  there  were  any  others.  About 
this  time  came  into  the  neighbourhood  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter, by  the  name  of  Martin,  whom  I  went  to  hear  ;  and 
before  he  was  done  I  was  convinced  that  I  was  in  a  lost  and 
undone  condition.  He  made  no  stay,  and  I  heard  no  more 
of  him.  But  a  wound  had  been  left  in  my  conscience  which 
I  knew  not  how  to  get  healed,  and  no  one  about  me  could 
give  any  valuable  advice  as  to  a  cure.  I  went  from  day  to 
day  under  a  heavy  burden,  bewailing  my  miserable  state, 
till  at  length  my  distress  became  so  great  that  I  could 
neither  eat  nor  sleep  with  any  peace  or  comfort.  My  neigh- 
bours said  that  I  was  falling  into  melancholy  or  going  mad, 


THE    LAY    PREACHER.  13S 

but  not  one  of  thum  had  any  knowledge  from  experience  of  the 
nature  of  my  distress.  Thus  I  continued  mourning  over  my  mis- 
erable case  for  weeks  and  months.  I  was  led,  however,  to  read 
constantly  in  the  Bible  ;  but  this  rather  increased  than  lessened 
my  distress  ;  until  one  Sunday  evening  I  saw  as  clearly  as  I 
ever  saw  any  thing  how  I  could  be  saved,  through  the  death 
of  Christ.  I  was  filled  with  comfort,  and  yet  sorrow  for  my 
sins  flowed  more  copiously  than  ever.  I  praised  God  aloud, 
and  immediately  told  my  wife  that  I  had  found  salvation  ; 
and  when  any  of  my  neighbours  came  to  see  me,  I  told  them 
of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  what  he  had  done  for  my  soul, 
and  how  he  had  pardoned  all  my  sins.  As  I  spoke  freely  of 
the  wonderful  change  I  had  experienced,  it  was  soon  noised 
abroad,  and  many  came  to-  see  me,  and  to  hear  an  account 
of  the  matter  from  my  own  mouth. 

'•  ^  On  Sabbath  evenings  my  house  would  be  crowded, 
and  when  I  had  finished  my  narrative  I  was  accustomed  to 
give  them  a  word  of  exhortation.  And  as  I  could  be  better 
heard  when  standing,  I  stood  and  addressed  my  neighbours, 
without  any  thought  of  preaching.  After  proceeding  for 
some  time  in  this  way,  I  found  that  several  others  began  to 
be  awakened  by  what  they  heard  from  me,  and  appeared  to 
be  brought  through  the  new  birth  much  as  I  had  been. 
This  greatly  encouraged  me  to  proceed  in  my  work,  and 
God  was  pleased  to  bless  my  humble  labours  to  the  con- 
version of  many.  All  this  time  I  did  no  more  than  relate 
my  own  experience  and  then  exhort  my  neighbours  to  seek 
unto  the  Lord  for  mercy.  Thus  was  I  led  on  from  step  to 
step,  until  at  length  I  actually  became  a  preacher,  without 


134  JAMES    SHELBURNE. 

intending  it.  Exercised  persons  would  frequently  come  to  me 
for  counsel,  as  I  had  been  the  first  among  them  to  experi- 
ence the  ^race  of  God  ;  and  that  I  might  be  able  to  answei 
their  questions  I  was  induced  to  study  the  Bible  continually  ; 
and  often  wliile  at  work,  particular  passages  would  be  opened 
to  my  mind  ;  which  encouraged  me  to  hope  that  the  Lord 
had  called  me  to  instruct  those  ^dio  were  more  ignorant 
than  myself;  and  when  the  people  would  collect  at  my 
house,  I  explained  to  them  those  passages  which  had  been 
opened  to  my  mind.  All  this  time  I  had  no  instruction  in 
spiritual  matters  from  any  man,  except  the  sermons  which  I 
heard  from  Mr.  Martin.  But  after  a  few  years  there  came 
a  Baptist  preacher  into  our  neighbourhood,  and  I  found  that 
his  doctrine  agreed  substantially  with  my  experience,  and 
with  what  I  had  learned  out  of  the  Bible.  I  travelled  about 
with  him,  and  was  encouraged  by  him  to  go  on  in  the  exer- 
cise of  my  gift  of  public  speaking,  but  was  told  by  him  that 
there  was  one  duty  which  I  was  required  to  perform,  wliich 
was  that  I  should  be  baptized  according  to  the  command  of 
Christ.  And  as  we  rode  along  we  came  to  a  certain  water, 
and  I  said.  See,  here  is  water,  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be 
baptized  ?  Upon  wliich  we  both  went  down  into  the  water, 
and  he  baptized  me  by  immersion  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  From  that  time  I  have  con- 
tinued until  this  day,  testifying  to  small  and  great,  to  white 
and  black,  repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  not  without  the  pleasure  of  seeing  many 
sinners  forsaking  their  sins  and  turning  unto  God. 

"  '  Now,'  said  he,   '  you  have    heard   the  reasons  which 


JAMES   SHELBURNE.  135 

induce  me  to  belieyc  that  God  has  called  me  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  poor  and  ignorant.  I  never  considered  myself 
qualified  to  instruct  men  of  education  and  learning?  I  have 
always  felt  badly  when  such  have  come  to  hear  me.  But  as 
for  people  of  my  own  class,  I  believed  that  I  could  teach 
them  many  things  wliich  they  need  to  know  ;  and  in  regard 
to  such  as  had  become  pious^  I  was  able,  by  study  of  the 
Bible  and  meditation,  to  go  before  them,  so  that  to^hem 
also  I  could  be  in  some  measure  a  guide.  I  lament  my 
want  of  learning,  and  am  deeply  convinced  that  it  is  useful 
to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel ;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  there 
are  different  gifts  now  as  of  old,  and  one  man  may  be  suited 
to  one  part  of  the  Lord's  work,  and  another  to  another  part. 
And  1  do  not  know  but  that  poor  and  ignorant  people  can 
understand  my  coarse  and  famihar  language  better  than  the 
discourses  of  the  most  learned  and  eloquent  men.  I  know 
their  method  of  tltinking  and  reasoning,  and  how  to  make 
things  plain  by  illustrations  and  comparisons  adapted  to 
their  capacities  and  their  habits.' 

"  When  the  old  millwright  had  finished  his  narrative,  I 
felt  much  more  inclined  to  doubt  my  own  call  to  the  minis- 
try, than  that  of  James  Shelburne.  Much  of  the  night  was 
spent  in  this  conversation,  while  my  companion  was  enjoying 
his  usual  repose.  We  talked  freely  about  the  doctrines  of 
religion,  and  were  mutually  gratified  at  finding  how  exactly 
our  views  tallied.  From  this  night  James  Shelburne  became 
an  object  of  my  high  regard,  and  he  gave  abundant  testimo- 
ny of  his  esteem  for  me.  Whenever  I  visited  that  part  of 
the  country,  he  was  wont  to  ride  many  miles  to  hear  me 


136  JAMES   SHELBURNE. 

jireach,  and  was  pleased  to  declare  that  he  had  never  heard 
any  of  the  ministers  of  his  own  denomination  with  whose 
opinions  he  could  so  fully  agree  as  with  mine.  I  had  the 
opportunity  of  hearing  him  preach  several  times,  and  was 
pleased  not  only  with  the  soundness  of  his  doctrine,  but  the 
unaffected  simplicity  of  his  manner.  His  discourses  con- 
sisted of  a  series  of  judicious  remarks  expressed  in  the 
plain^t  language,  and  in  a  conversational  tone,  until  he  be- 
came by  degrees  warmed  with  his  subject,  w^hen  he  fell  into 
a  singing  tone,  but  nothing  like  what  was  common  with 
almost  all  Baptist  preachers  of  the  country  at  that  time. 
As  he  followed  his  trade  from  day  to  day,  I  once  asked  him 
how  he  found  time  to  study  his  sermons  ;  to  which  he  re- 
plied, that  he  could  study  better  at  his  work,  with  his  ham- 
mer in  his  hand,  than  if  shut  up  and  surrounded  with  books. 
When  he  had  passed  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age  he  gave 
up  work,  and  devoted  himself  entirely  to  preaching.  Being 
a  man  of  firm  health,  he  travelled  to  a  considerable  distance 
and  preached  nearly  every  day.  On  one  of  these  tours, 
after  I  was  settled  in  Charlotte  County,  I  saw  him  for  the 
last  time.  The  old  man  appeared  to  be  full  of  zeal  and  love, 
and  brought  the  spirit  of  the  Gosj^el  into  every  family  which 
he  visited.  He  was  evidently  ripening  for  heaven,  and  ac- 
cordingly, not  long  after,  he  finished  his  course  with  joy. 
Thus  I  have  anticipated  much  that  relates  to  my  old  friend, 
although  his  end  did  not  occur  until  many  years  after 
this  time."  "■•' 

*  See  also  an  account  of  the  same  man,  in  the  "New  Orleans  Protestant" 
"or  1846  or  1847. 


JAMES    HUNT.  137 

At  Reedy  Creek  the  travellers  met  with  some  persons 
from  whom  they  acquired  many  important  facts  as  to  the 
early  plantation  of  our  church  in  Virginia.  Distinguished 
among  these  was  Captain  William  Craighead,  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies  of  Hanover,  with  whom  he 
served  as  an  elder.  He  cordially  welcomed  the  missionaries^ 
as  his  family  and  that  of  William  Cowan,  Esq.,  were  the 
only  Presbyterians  of  the  neighbourhood.  He  produced  a 
file  of  letters  received  from  President  Davies  after  his  removal 
to  Princeton,  and  said  it  was  his  custom  to  read  them  over 
on  a  certain  day  in  every  year.  From  his  ardour  of  dispo- 
sition, activity,  fluency  of  speech  and  religious  zeal,  the 
Captain  was  well  fitted  to  be  a  useful  officer  in  the  church. 
In  all  the  negotiations  touching  Mr.  Davies's  removal  he  bore 
a  prominent  part,  and  afterwards  was  several  times  a  com- 
missioner to  convey  a  call  to  other  northern  ministers  ; 
among  the  rest  to  Mr.  Kirkpatrick  of  New  Jersey.  After 
many  disappointments  the  Hanover  people  were  at  length 
^dsited  by  the  Rev.  David  Rice,  who  became  their  pastor. 
After  Mr.  Rice's  departure,  the  congregation  remained  many 
years  vacant,  and  the  church  declined  more  and  more. 

The  notices  respecting  another  old  Christian  of  that 
country  aid  our  conceptions  of  the  type  of  religion  which 
prevailed.  This  was  Mr.  Hunt,  the  father  of  Craighead's 
second  wife.  He  was  a  subject  of  the  work  of  grace  in 
Hanover,  before  they  had  any  preaching.  He  was  old  enough 
to  have  a  flimily  around  him,  when  the  awakening  began,  in 
consequence  of  finding  and  reading  certain  old  books.  He 
remembered  Mr.  Robinson's  visit,  and  gave  a  particular  ac« 


138  WILLIAM    COWAN. 

count  of  the  circumstances  attending  his  arrival.  He  had  a 
notion  that  when  a  young  man  God  had  called  him  by  name, 
it  is  believed  in  WilUamsburg.  Sitting  up  till  midnight  he 
heard  a  voice  from  above  distinctly  calling  him,  James 
Hunt,  James  Hunt  !  Contrary  to  what  is  usual  in  such 
visitations,  the  voice  was  distinctly  heard  by  two  women 
who  were  ironing  in  a  room  near  at  hand.  From  that  time 
he  had  very  serious  thoughts  about  religion,  but  was  igno- 
rant of  its  nature,  until  the  famous  ''  reading ''  commenced  at 
Mr.  Morris's  house,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  ho  lived. 
The  genuineness  and  sincerity  of  Mr.  Hunt's  religion  were  ren- 
dered evident  by  a  life  of  even,  humble  piety,  during  seventy 
years.  "  In  his  ninety-second  year,"  says  Dr.  Alexander, 
"  he  read  Paine's  Age  of  Keason,  not  long  after  which  I 
visited  him,  at  the  house  of  his  son  Gilbert,  on  Staunton 
Kiver  ;  and  was  struck  with  the  remarks  which  he  made  on 
that  infidel  performance.  At  that  time  he  related  to  me  an 
experience  which  he  had  had  many  years  before.  One 
morning  as  he  arose  from  his  bed,  he  had  so  ravishing  a 
view  of  the  glory  of  God,  that  for  some  time  he  stood  in 
mute  astonishment.  And  when  this  passed  away  he  en- 
joyed for  a  fortnight  such  a  peace,  that  he  could  conceive  of 
no  greater  happiness." 

Another  person  whom  the  missionaries  found  in  Lunen- 
burg was  William  Cowan,  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  a  lawyer 
of  some  eminence,  and  a  man  of  eminent  piety.  Having 
come  to  this  country  when  a  lad,  with  an  elder  brother,  he 
fell  in  with  the  Methodists,  exhorted  in  public,  and  was 
elated  with  his  supposed  success  in  public  speaking.      He 


WILLIAM    COWAN.  139 

used  to  relate  that  he  felt  sure  he  could  produce  a  ser- 
mon off-hand  on  any  text  in  the  Bible  ;  and  that  to  make 
a  trial,  he  opened  the  book  at  random,  and  alighted  on  these 
words,  Obadiah  3,  "  The  pride  of  thy  heart  hath  deceived 
thee,"  &c.  This  came  home  to  his  conscience  and  feelings 
with  a  power  so  convincing  that  he  fell  prostrate  on  the 
ground,  and  from  that  hour  a  great  change  was  wrought  in 
his  character,  and  he  became  an  humble  man  for  the  rest  of 
life.  When  a  suitable  occasion  offered  itself  he  returned  to 
the  bosom  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he  had  been 
baptized.  ^'Mr.  Cowan,''  says  our  manuscript,  '^was  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  most  uniformly  serious  men  I  was  ever 
acquainted  with.  In  his  arguments  at  the  bar,  his  solemn 
voice  and  formal  manner  of  dividing  his  subject  much  resem- 
bled preaching.  Though  always  grave  he  was  not  austere, 
and  the  impression  which  he  made  on  men  of  the  world,  and 
especially  on  his  associates,  was  exceedingly  favourable, 
while  his  profound  skill  in  jurisprudence  was  universally 
acknowledged.  He  was  no  orator,  but  in  causes  requiring 
legal  acumen  and  judgment,  he  w^as  by  many  preferred  to 
Patrick  Henry,  with  whom  he  practised  in  the  same  courts 
for  many  years,  living  in  habits  of  intimacy  with  that 
great  man.  When  the  war  was  ended  he  was  almost  en- 
tirely occupied  in  collecting  moneys  due  to  the  Scotch  mer- 
chants, who  had  generally  gone  off  at  the  commencement 
of  the  Eevolution ;  a  business  which  was  attended  with 
little  difficulty  after  the  confirmation  of  Jay's  Treaty.  But 
immediately  after  the  Eevolution  the  payment  of  these 
debts  was  resisted,  and  Patrick  Henry,  as  I  have  been  in- 


140  WILLIAM    COWAN. 

formed,  never  made  a  greater  display  of  his  extraordinary 
abilities,  than  in  a  speech  before  the  Supreme  Court  against 
the  equity  of  these  claims  ;  so  that  the  British  agents  who 
were  in  court  said  to  one  another,  '  We  had  better  go 
home,  for  this  man,  before  he  is  done,  will  make  us  the 
debtors  instead  of  the  creditors/ 

"  When  Mr.  Cowan  retired  from  the  bar,  and  confined 
himself  to  collecting  the  aforesaid  debts,  he  came  often  into 
the  part  of  the  country  where  I  resided,  and  I  had  the  op- 
portunity of  being  much  with  him.  And  having  observed 
his  solemn  manner  at  the  bar  and  his  uniform  seriousness 
and  devotion,  I,  as  well  as  others,  concluded  that  he  ought 
to  become  a  preacher  of  the  gospel.  One  day,  therefore, 
when  riding  with  him  from  the  place  of  worship,  I  ventured 
to  broach  the  subject.  He  said  it  had  often  been  suggested 
to  his  mind,  but  that  after  the  most  mature  deliberation  he 
had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  unwise  for  him 
to  enter  the  ministry.  That  the  habits  of  one  profession 
long  fixed  could  not  be  easily  laid  aside  to  assume  those  of 
another ;  that  he  had  had  much  to  do  in  worldly  business, 
and  had  been  obliged  in  the  course  of  his  profession  to  ofiend 
many  persons  ;  that  many  were  prejudiced  against  him  on 
account  of  his  being  the  attorney  for  British  merchants,  to 
whom  almost  all  were  indebted  ;  and  especially  that  he  still 
was  concerned  in  cases  which  could  not  be  terminated  for 
many  years.  I  was  much  impressed  with  the  solid  weight 
of  these  reasons. 

"  He  was  deeply  sensible  of  the  evils  of  slavery,  and  one 
day  said  to  liie  that  there  was  a  secret  policy  in  the  minds 


BISHOP   MADISON.  141 

of  some  leading  men  in  the  state,  to  tax  slaves  very  heavily, 
so  as  by  degrees  to  render  them  unprofitable  ;  as  they  were 
convinced  that  the  mass  of  slaveholders  would  never  consent 
to  emancipate  them  while  they  were  profitable." 

After  Mr.  Grigsby  had  preached  at  Keedy  Creek,  to  a 
small  congregation,  he  and  his  companion  were  met  by  Capt. 
Craighead,  who  took  them  to  his  house  and  entertained 
them  with  much  kindness.  On  the  next  Sabbath  they  went 
to  Lunenburg  Court  House,  two  or  three  miles  distant, 
where  Bishop  Madison  was  to  preach.  They  heard  him  dis- 
course on  standing  in  the  old  paths.  The  object  of  this 
visitation — and  he  made  but  few — was  to  win  back  the 
people  into  the  old  church.  The  state  of  episcopacy  in  Vir- 
ginia at  this  period  may  be  learnt  from  the  history  of  Dr. 
Hawks.  Captain  Craighead  and  Mr.  Cowan  expressed  the 
opinion  that  there  was  no  vitality  in  the  body,  except  in  the 
parish  of  old  Mr.  Jarratt,  of  whom  more  will  be  said  here- 
after. In  the  afternoon  both  the  young  Presbyterians 
preached  in  the  Court  House,  to  a  large  and  attentive  audi- 
ence, of  whom  most  had  never  heard  a  minister  of  this  per- 
suasion. The  youthful  appearance  of  the  speakers  attracted 
much  attention.  In  the  county  of  Amelia  they  found  no 
Presbyterians,  but  were  warmly  entertained  by  an  old  Col. 
Brooking,  who,  with  his  wife,  had  been  accustomed  in  their 
youth  to  hear  Mr.  Davies.  ^'  They  informed  us  that  John 
Rodgers  Davies  resided  near  them,  and  was  frequently  their 
guest.  Old  Mrs.  Brooking  added,  that  she  had  once  asked 
him  to  do  her  a  special  favour,  and  on  his  consenting,  in- 
formed him  that  she  desired  him  to  take  home  and  read  the 


142  A    SON    OF    DAVIES. 

little  poem  which  his  flxther  had  written  on  the  occasion  of 
his  birth.  He  answered  that  he  could  not  do  it,  and  that 
he  had  never  perused  any  of  his  father's  writings. 

"  Six  or  seven  years  after  this,  I  made  a  tour  through 
the  ounties  south  of  James  River,  and  found  that  he  had 
removed  to  Sussex.  The  man  with  whom  I  staid,  a  Mr. 
Chapel,  a  Methodist,  told  me  that  there  was  a  Presbyterian 
gentleman  near  him,  who  never  attended  any  of  their  meet- 
ings, and  that  he  was  glad  I  had  come.  Mr.  Chapel  urged 
me  to  preach  in  the  evening ;  and  went  himself  to  inform 
Mr.  Davies  of  the  service.  But  he  could  not  by  all  his  argu- 
ments prevail  on  him  to  come.  And  finally,  to  get  clear  of 
his  importunity,  he  said,  '  If  the  Apostle  Paul  was  to  preach 
at  your  house  to-night,  I  would  not  go  ;  nay,  if  my  own 
father  was  to  preach  there  I  would  not  go." " 

It  deserves  to  be  mentioned  that  great  assemblies  were 
gathered  to  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Alexander  during  this  visit 
to  Amelia.  A  report  had  been  circulated  that  he  was  only 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age,  which  indeed  his  appearance 
seemed  to  justify,  though  at  this  time  he  was  nearly  twenty. 
From  all  the  accounts  which  we  have  been  able  to  obtain 
during  a  residence  in  the  same  region  nearly  thirty  years 
ago,  when  many  were  surviving  who  remembered  these  juve- 
nile efibrts,  we  are  induced  to  believe  that  at  no  period  of 
his  ministry  was  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Alexander  more  at- 
tractive and  powerful  than  at  that  very  time.  With  Kttle 
of  that  culture  which  he  afterwards  received  in  large  measure, 
he  had  the  glow  and  exuberance  of  youth,  a  fund  of  bril- 
liant imagery  and  copious  words,  a  magical  fascination  of 


PETERSBURG.  143 

voice,  and  above  all  a  spirituality  of  mind,  which  was  the 
chief  endowment  in  the  apprehension  of  those  aged  persons 
who  gave  the  report.  His  labours  were  abundant,  some- 
times involving  successive  days  of  preaching,  at  places  far 
apart ;  and  they  were  doubtless  instrumental  in  promoting 
the  growth  of  that  Church  to  the  ser\dce  of  which  his  whole 
energy  both  in  youth  and  age  was  consecrated. 

Continuing  their  journey  in  the  direction  of  the  rivers 
towards  tidewater,  our  missionaries  went  next  to  Petersburg. 
They  were  consigned  by  letter  to  Mr.  Thomas  Shore,  of 
Pocahontas,  on  the  side  of-  the  Appomatox  opposite  to  the 
town.  Tliis  gentleman's  father,  Dr.  Shore  of  Hanover,  had 
been  one  of  Mr.  Davies's  elders.  They  took  up  their  abode, 
however,  with  a  Mr.  Dodson,  who  proved  to  be  an  obliging 
and  serious  man,  but  unconnected  with  any  religious  body 
The  good  man  informed  the  young  preachers  that  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  procuring  them  a  place  in  which  to 
hold  meetings,  assuring  them  that  they  might  have  either 
the  Episcopal  church,  or  the  Methodist  church  in  Blandford. 
He  accordingly  agreed  to  go  and  see  the  principal  local 
preacher  of  the  Methodists,  a  considerable  merchant,  of 
whose  liberality  he  spoke  in  high  terms.  "It  was  also 
agreed,"  says  Mr.  Alexander,  "  that  Mr.  Grigsby  should  go 
to  Blandford  and  secure  the  Episcopal  church  there,  so  that 
each  might  have  a  place  of  preaching.  We  thought  every 
thing  was  to  go  on  swimmingly.  After  dinner  we  stepped 
into  a  store  in  the  old  town,  as  Mr.  Grigsby  wanted  a  pair 
of  black  silk  gloves  for  the  pulpit.  While  he  was  chaffering 
at  the  counter,  th^  owner  of  the  store  said  to  me,  ^ When 


144  SEARCH    FOR   A    PULPIT. 

I  saw  you  ride  into  town,  I  thought  you  were  Methodist 
preachers,  but  now  I  find  I  was  mistaken  ;  pray,  to  what 
denomination  do  you  belong  ? '  On  our  replying,  he  said, 
'  Ah  !  Presbyterian  ! '  with  a  pecuHar  tone  and  expression 
of  countenance  ;  ^  We  have  a  man  in  town  who  was  once  a 
Presbyterian  preacher,  but  is  now  a  merchant  ;  for  he  says 
he  can't  sell  goods  and  preach  too/  I  replied,  that  I  thought 
the  man  was  perfectly  right,  as  no  man  could  fulfil  the  du- 
ties of  the  sacred  office  and  be  a  merchant  at  the  same 
time.  His  colour  rose  at  this,  and  he  said,  with  a  smarter 
tone,  ^  Then  you  do  not  agree  with  the  Apostle  Paul,  for  he 
pi:eached  and  wrought  at  the  trade  of  tent  making/,  I 
answered  that  I  did  agree  with  Paul,  who  had  given  solemn 
directions  to  Timothy  that  ministers  should  give  themselves 
wholly  to  their  work  ;  and  that  Paul's  labouring  was  from 
necessity,  and  to  take  away  all  occasion  of  prejudice  from 
his  enemies.  Here  we  left  the  store,  and  on  relating  what 
had  passed  to  Mr.  Dodson,  were  informed  that  this  man  was 
a  preacher  and  a  leading  person  among  the  Methodists." 

There  is  much  naivete  in  the  description  of  these  first 
attempts  to  exercise  their  gifts  in  a  large  town.  '^  On 
Saturday,  Mr.  Grigsby  proceeded  to  Blandford  and  Mr.  Dod- 
son applied  to  the  local  preacher,  requesting  their  house  at 
hours  which  would  not  interfere  with  their  worship,  and 
was  confounded  to  find  that  it  could  not  be  had.  Mr.  Dod- 
son was  greatly  mortified,  as  he  said  he  and  many  others 
who  were  not  of  their  society  had  helped  to  build  the  house. 
When  Mr.  Grigsby  returned  from  Blandford,  he  told  us  he 
had  visited  Mr.  Cameron,  the  rector,  from  whom  he  had  re- 


JOHI^  baptist's  spring.  145 

ceived  an  unceremonious  refusal.  He  had,  however,  met  with 
a  Dr.  Hull,  born  in  Augusta  and  bred  a  Presbyterian,  who 
insisted  that  we  should  dine  with  him  the  next  day.  I 
hesitated,  but  thinking  a  private  house  would  be  niore 
agreeable  than  Mr.  Dodson's  boarding  house,  I  consented. 
The  question  as  to  a  place  of  preaching  was  not  yet  satis- 
factorily answered.  We  made  many  inquiries,  but  nothing 
presented  itself.  At  length  I  asked  Mr.  D.,  if  they  never 
had  field-preaching  about  the  town.  He  said  there  was  a 
spring  about  a  mile  off  called  John  Baptist's  Spring,  be- 
cause an  old  Baptist,  a  black  man  named  John,  sometimes 
held  forth  there.  I  replied  that  this  should  be  our  preach- 
ing place  ;  but  how  to  give  notice  was  the  difficulty.  At 
length  Mr,  Dodson  suggested  that  he  had  a  smart  negro 
boy,  who  could  go  through  the  town  with  a  bell,  carrying 
the  notice  in  his  hand  to  bo  read  by  all  who  might  meet 
him.  I  was  much  pleased  with  this  scheme,  and  we  pre- 
pared in  a  large  legible  hand  a  notice  that  two  young  Pres- 
byterian ministers  would  preach  at  the  ^  stand '  of  John  the 
Baptist,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Our  little  black  was 
already  summoned,  when  information  came  that  Mr.  Pren- 
tiss, the  printer,  had  offered  for  our  use  a  large  unfurnished 
house  in  Bolingbroke  Street. 

"  In  the  morning  I  went  with  Mr.  Dodson  to  the  Metho- 
dist church,  and  Mr.  Grigsby  went  to  Blandford  to  hear 
Mr.  Cameron.  The  circuit  rider  who  attended  in  Petersburg 
on  that  occasion  was  no  indifferent  speaker.  He  was  either 
an  Englishman,  or  had  caught  the  swell  and  rotundity  of 
English  elocution  fi'om  preachers  who  had  come  over  from 

10 


146  A    DINNER   PARTlf. 

that  country.  But  after  he  had  proceeded  some  length  in 
his  discourse,  he  went  out  of  his  way  to  warn  the  people 
against  a  set  of  preachers  who  taught  that  the  righteousness 
of  Christ  was  imputed  to  the  believer.  He  said  this  was  a 
dangerous  doctrine,  and  before  he  was  done  called  it  imputed 
nonsense  and  blasphemy.  I  was  astonished,  not  being  then 
aware  of  the  Methodist  hostility  to  this  doctrine.  After 
sermon  I  went  over  to  Blandford  to  meet  Mr.  Gr.  at  Dr. 
Hull's.  Here  I  learned  that  Mr.  Cameron  also  had  uttered 
a  violent  tirade  against  Calvinists,  and  warned  the  people 
against  hearing  them,  as  he  understood  some  preachers  of 
that  description  had  come  to  the  place.  Thus  were  we  met 
with  opposition  on  all  sides. 

"  Soon  after  our  arrival  the  company  began  to  come  in, 
carriage  after  carriage.  We  found  to  our  chagrin  that  a 
large  party  had  been  invited,  and  as  Archibald  Gracie  of 
New- York  and  some  other  guests  were  late,  the  hour  for 
preaching  had  nearly  come  before  we  sat  down.  We  ex- 
pressed our  uneasiness  to  the  host,  who  said  we  should  be 
there  in  full  time.  But  before  we  had  made  our  way  half 
through  the  elegant  dinner,  which  did  me  no  good,  the  hour 
arrived.  We  unceremoniously  rose  from  table,  in  the  midst 
'of  a  smart  thunder  shower.  The  rain  prevented  many  who 
would  have  come,  for  the  refusal  to  let  us  preach  had  excited 
much  feeling.  The  house,  however,  which  was  in  a  very 
rough  state,  was  well  filled,  and  Mr.  Grigsby  preached  a 
plain,  solemn  and  impressive  sermon,  on  John  iii.  3.  The 
people  were  very  attentive,  and  an  old  Mr.  Angus  took  us 
::jordially  by  tjie  hand,  and  in  a  strong  Scotch  accent  asked 


PETERSBURG.  147 

US  to  go  home  with  him,  to  which  we  agreed.  He  informed 
us  that  the  majority  of  Parson  Cameron's  hearers  were 
Scotch  people,  who  had  been  brought  up  Presbyterians  ; 
^  Yes/  he  added,  '  and  he  also  was  brought  up  a  Presbyte- 
rian.' Before  the  people  were  dismissed,  we  learned  that 
application  had  been  made  for  the  use  of  the  Masonic  Hall, 
a  spacious  building  in  Blandford,  but  that  an  old  lady,  who 
taught  a  dancing  school  there,  strongly  objected,  fearing  lest 
we  should  injure  her  craft.  But  when  the  Master  Mason 
heard  this,  he  brought  the  key  of  the  Hall  and  delivered  it 
to  one  of  our  friends.  The  next  day,  therefore,  I  preached  to 
a  very  large  congregation  in  this  fine  room ;  and  Mr.  Grigsby 
preached  on  the  day  following.  During  these  days  an  ear- 
nest application  was  made,  for  one  of  us  to  remain  and  preach- 
there  statedly.  And  if  we  could  have  staid,  a  Presbyterian 
congregation  might  have  been  gathered  fifteen  years  before 
such  an  organization  actually  took  place.  But  each  of  us 
had  a  tour  of  six  months  before  him. 

"We  now  took  our  leave  of  Petersburg  and  of  one 
another.  This  last  we  were  very  reluctant  to  do  ;  for  we  had 
found  that  '  two  are  better  than  one,'  and  that  the  plan 
adopted  by  our  Saviour  was  better  than  any  other.  No 
sooner  had  I  turned  my  face  westward,  than  I  began  to  feel 
soUtary  and  dejected.  Grigsby's  exuberance  of  spirits  had 
previously  kept  me  up,  but  now  I  was  left  to  my  own  gloomy 
forebodings  of  innumerable  difficulties." 

The  name  of  the  Keverend  Devereux  Jarratt  is  well 
known  by  all  the  friends  of  evangelical  religion  in  Virginia, 
where  he  shone  as  a  light  in  a  dark  place,  during  a  season 


148  DEVEREUX   JARRATT. 

when  the  Episcopal  Church  had  few  to  declare  the  gospel  in 
its  simplicity.  Having  heard  much  of  his  piety  and  elo- 
quence, Mr.  Alexander  determined  to  spend  the  next  Sab- 
bath with  him.  The  good  old  man  had  lately  attended  the 
diocesan  convention  at  Richmond,  and  had  preached  a  pun- 
gent and  faithful  discourse,  which  was  then  fresh  from  the 
press.  He  was  found  in  his  spacious  old-fashioned  house,  in 
the  midst  of  a  large  plantation,  without  children,  but  sur- 
rounded by  sleek,  happy-looking  servants.  "  But  I  confess/' 
says  the  narrative,  "  I  was  much  better  pleased  with  Mrs 
Jarratt.  There  was  so  much  of  sweetness  and  kindness  in 
this  old  lady,  that  I  have  seldom  seen  the  like.  Mrs. 
Grammar,  of  Petersburg,  known  to  me  long  afterwards,  was 
in  affability,  goodness,  and  Christian  courtesy  the  exact 
resemblance  of  Mrs.  Jarratt.  Indeed,  she  was  brought  up 
under  her  tuition,  and  her  son  now  occupies  Mr.  Jarratt's 
place  in  the  parish  of  Bath.  The  old  gentleman  seemed  at 
first  reserved  and  austere.  I  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  him, 
very  young,  ani  younger  in  appearance  than  in  reality,  and 
as  far  as  I  remember,  brought  no  introductory  letters  ;  they 
were  less  common  in  those  days  than  now.  He  did  not 
leave  his  study  to  keep  me  company,  but  left  the  good  lady 
to  attend  on  me,  which  she  did  in  a  manner  that  could  not 
but  be  most  soothing  to  the  heart  of  a  stranger,  much  dis- 
posed to  melancholy  thoughts.  After  a  little,  however,  Mr. 
Jarratt  began  to  unbend  ;  and  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to 
examine  me  on  the  Evidences  of  Christianity,  and  to  get 
something  of  my  history,  and  of  my  purpose  in  visiting  that 
part  of  the  country.     Finding  me  not  altogether  ignorant, 


DEVEREUX   JARRATT.  149 

he  proceeded  to  converse  with  me  freely.  He  related  a  con- 
troversy which  he  had  had  the  week  before  with  the  Metho- 
dist Presiding  Elder  of  the  district ;  in  the  course  of  which 
the  latter  asked  in  regard  to  something  which  he  had 
asserted,  ^  How  should  you  know  any  better  than  I  ? '  ^  Be- 
cause/ answered  Mr.  Jarratt,  '  I  had  read  more  books  before 
you  were  born,  than  you  have  done  in  your  whole  life.' 

"He  said  his  parish  was  much  reduced,  and  that  the 
state  of  religion  was  very  low  ;  but  he  described  scenes  of 
a  truly  animating  kind  which  had  been  witnessed  there. 
When  he  first  preached  there,  as  the  people  were  gay  and 
careless,  he  prepared  a  few  flowery  discourses,  ad  captandum, 
and  brought  out  but  little  of  the  gospel  plainly.  This  he 
justified  by  the  case  of  Paul,  who  became  all  things  to  all 
men.  But  it  was  a  doubtful  expedient,  and  an  experiment 
replete  with  danger.  As  to  his  own  church,  he  knew  but 
one  man  in  the  ministry  whom  he  regarded  as  an  experi- 
mental Christian  ;  this  was  a  Mr.  Ball.  But  as  he  has 
published  an  account  of  his  own  life,  which  is  a  curious 
picture  of  manners  in  Virginia  at  that  period,  I  will  not 
attempt  to  sketch  his  character.  His  zeal,  together  with  a 
voice  of  great  power  and  melody,  carried  him  forward  and 
raised  him  high  as  a  preacher ;  and  as  he  and  Mr.  McRo- 
berts  were  the  only  two  who  zealously  preached  the  gospel 
in  the  church  as  by  law  established,  their  prominence  was 
marked.  Some  years  afterwards  I  heard  him  preach  at 
Hampden  Sidney  College  ;  the  sermon  was  evangelical  and 
fervent,  without  signs  of  care  in  the  preparation,  and  his 
voice  was  then  broken.     A  good  idea  of  his  labours  may  be 


150  NOTTOWAY — MECKLENBURG. 

obtained  from  his  printed  sermons.  His  theological  opin- 
ions, as  he  informed  me,  were  in  conformity  with  those  of 
Richard  Baxter,  except  that  he  held,  and  in  several  publica- 
tions endeavoured  to  maintain,  the  possibility  of  attaining 
sinless  perfection  in  this  life." 

The  path  marked  out  for  Mr.  Alexander  lay  in  the 
direction  of  the  North  Carolina  border.  From  Petersburg, 
therefore,  he  retraced  his  steps  through  the  counties  of 
Amelia,  Nottoway,  and  Lunenburg,  v/here  he  fulfilled  en- 
gagements made  in  the  former  visit.  He  then  entered  Meck- 
lenburg, where  the  Rev.  Mr.  Patillo  w^as  accustomed  to  preach 
once  in  the  month.  Here  the  Methodists  had  enjoyed  much 
success  for  a  time.  A  lady  is  remembered,  who  a  few  years 
before  had  made  much  noise.  Such  was  her  zeal  and  en- 
thusiasm, that  she  spoke  and  exhorted  in  public  assemblies, 
even  when  a  number  of  preachers  were  present.  Her  figure 
was  commanding,  and  her  address  won  public  admiration. 
The  young  missionary  here  records  a  misadventure  not  un- 
common in  such  itinerations  ;  his  horse  escaped,  and  was 
missing  for  some  days.  In  this  great  embarrassment,  his 
gloomy  thoughts  were  dispelled  by  a  discourse  which  he 
casually  opened  upon  in  a  friend's  house,  on  the  words, 
"^  Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  and  shall 
we  not  receive  evil  ?  "  It  was  in  Bennet's  Oratory,  a  work 
9n  Prayer,  for  which  he  always  retained  a  strong  attachment. 

At  the  Blue  Stone  Meeting-House,  he  first  fell  in  with 
the  Rev.  Henry  Patillo,  who  had  come  over  from  Granville 
County  in  Carolina,  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper ;  and 
Df  whom  he  gives  the  following  notices.     Mr.  Patillo  was 


MR.    PATILLO,  151 

born  in  Scotland,  and  was  brought  to  this  country  by  an 
elder  brother,  when  only  nine  years  old.  While  yet  a  young 
man,  he  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Davies,  and  having  ex- 
perienced the  power  of  grace  he  entered  on  studies  prepara- 
tory to  the  ministry,  receiving  aid  from  some  persons  of 
benevolence.  But  his  chief  resource  was  in  his  own  labours  as 
a  teacher,  by  which  he  was  enabled  to  sustain  himself.  In 
due  time  he  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover,  at 
that  time  the  only  one  in  Virginia.  This  was  probably 
about  the  year  1760.  For  some  years  he  preached  in  Cum- 
berland, Prince  Edward,  and  Charlotte  ;  but  on  receiving  an 
invitation  to  North  Carolina,  he  removed  to  Granville  Coun- 
ty, and  had  for  his  charge  the  congregations  of  Grassy 
Creek  and  Nutbush,  with  which  he  remained  till  the  close 
of  his  Hfe. 

Mr.  Patillo  was  above  the  middle  size,  of  robust  consti- 
tution and  uninterrupted  health.  His  aspect  was  benevolent, 
and  his  manners  were  simple  and  affectionate.  He  was 
free  from  envy  and  jealousy,  and  even  in  old  age  had  no 
austerity  or  moroseness.  He  was  especially  affable  with 
young  ministers,  dehghting  in  their  gifts,  for  which  he  gave 
thanks  to  God.  The  most  untutored  and  the  youngest  were 
perfectly  at  ease  in  his  company ;  as  he  seemed  to  esteem 
himself  the  least  of  all  God's  servants.  Yet  he  was  an  in- 
cessant reader,  and  remembered  almost  all  that  he  read.  In 
the  pulpit,  he  was  plain  and  practical ;  but  it  was  evident 
that  much  pains  had  been  bestowed  on  his  discourses.  His 
voice  was  commanding,  and  he  was  generally  heard  with 
3,ttention.     His  disposition  was  so  contented,  that  nothing 


152  MR.    PATILLO. 

seemed  to  disturb  the  serenity  of  liis  mind.  As  far  as  waa 
possible  for  the  head  of  a  family,  he  divested  himself  of  all 
worldly  cares.  He  was  always  poor,  and  us«d  to  express  his 
thankfulness  to  God  for  having  kept  him  entirely  exempt 
from  the  snares  of  wealth.  The  only  kind  of  property  on 
which  he  set  much  value,  was  books.  He  had  a  great  avidi- 
ty for  learning,  rather  than  for  accumulating  a  fine  library  ; 
but  was  generous  in  parting  with  his  treasures  to  those  who 
needed  them  more  than  he.  "  Until  this  period  of  my  life," 
says  Mr.  Alexander,  "  I  had  never  seen  a  Hebrew  Bible,  or 
any  other  Hebrew  book  ;  and  some  time  after  this,  having 
found  a  mutilated  copy  among  the  relics  of  old  Kobert 
Henry's  books  in  Charlotte,  I  begged  it  of  the  family,  and 
then  travelled  into  North  Carolina,  to  procure  a  Bythner's 
Lyra  Prophetica,  from  old  Mr.  Patillo."  On  a  certain  occa- 
sion, while  Mr.  Patillo  was  absent,  his  house  was  consumed 
by  fire.  On  his  return,  he  exclaimed  to  his  wife,  "  0  my 
dear,  are  my  books  safe  ?  "  And  on  being  assured  that  they 
were,  he  devoutly  praised  God. 

Late  in  life,  Mr.  Patillo  became  an  author.  His  principal 
work  was  an  abridgment  of  Leland's  Deistical  Writers  ;  a 
veiy  seasonable  production,  at  a  time  when  French  infidelity 
was  rife.  The  other  was  a  series  of  plain  sermons.  A  note 
appended  to  one  of  these,  broached  the  same  doctrine  con- 
cerning Christ's  human  nature,  which  has  since  been  so 
offensively  taught  by  the  famous  Edward  Irving.  It  will 
cast  light  on  the  ministerial  life  of  those  days,  here  to  insert 
a  statement  of  Dr.  Alexander's,  though  out  of  its  chronologi- 
^1  place.     "  While  I  was  minister  in   Charlotte,  the  old 


RELIGIOUS    FRIENDS.  153 

gentleman  came  once  to  pay  his  last  visit  to  his  friends  in 
Virginia.  I  made  a  string  of  appointments  for  him,  reaching 
from  Cub  Creek  to  Cumberland,  and  accompanied  him  the 
whole  round.  It  VyT.s  previously  suggested  to  a  few  as  we 
passed  from  place  to  place,  that  it  would  be  well  to  make  a 
contribution,  to  aid  the  aged  servant  of  God.  When  we 
had  finished  our  tour,  I  had  in  my  saddle-bags  about  thirty 
dollars,  which  the  people  had  freely  given.  As  I  handed 
him  the  silver  coin  (for  we,  had  then  never  seen  a  bank- 
note), the  good  old  man  appeared  to  be  penetrated  with 
gratitude."  Mr.  Patillo  is  supposed  to  have  been  more  than 
Jseventy  years  of  age  at  t-he  time  of  his  death. 

Among  the  early  settlements  of  Presbyterianism  in  this 
region,  Mr.  Alexander  occasionally  found  persons  of  character 
so  marked,  as  to  deserve  a  passing  notice.  He  names  a  Mr. 
John  Young,  a  warm  friend  of  Mr.  Patillo,  and  a  person  of 
plain  unassuming  manners,  who  was  remarkable,  in  years  of 
scarcity,  for  selhng  corn  at  a  uniform  price,  even  when  it 
would  bring  twice  as  much  in  the  market.  Col.  Smith  waa 
another  leading  Presbyterian  of  the  same  neighbourhood, 
who  had  a  daughter  of  extraordinary  knowledge  and  piety. 
The  personal  narrative  says  of  her  :  "  She  understood  the 
Calvinistic  doctrines  better  than  any  woman  I  ever  saw.  I 
have  spent  days  in  conversation  on  theological  points  with 
Polly  Smith.  Her  religion  was  not  merely  theoretical,  but 
deeply  practical.  She  was  a  truly  devout  and  humble  per- 
soTt.  She  became  the  wife  of  the  Eev.  William  Williamson, 
of  Ohio."  Chesley  Daniel  and  an  old  Mr.  Lewis,  are 
alno  mentioned  as  pious  friends  of  this  period.     The  only 


154  MISSIONARY   WORK. 

contemporary  journal  of  this  tour  which  remains  to  us,  is  a 
fragment  of  just  six  pages  ;  which  nevertheless  contains  two 
somew^hat  interesting  entries,  '^  Tuesday,  August  7, 1792.  I 
preached  at  Sandy  River.  The  house  was  very  full  of  people, 
who  seemed  desirous  to  hear.  I  don't  remember  that  any  to 
whom  I  have  preached  since  I  was  on  my  tour,  were  a])pa- 
rently  more  affected  than  these.''  "  Thursday,  Aug.  30.  I 
preached  at  Chestnut  Meeting-House,  to  a  small  congrega- 
tion. In  the  time  of  sermon,,  the  peo23le  appeared  to  be 
impressed,  and  to  drink  in  the  Word  with  greediness.  I 
therefore  continued  my  discourse  for  nearly  two  hours,  and 
then  dismissed  the  congregation.  I  sat  in  the  pulpit  aboui 
fifteen  minutes,  but  no  person  in  the  house  offered  to  go 
away.  After  some  time  I  arose  and  told  the  people,  that  as 
they  were  not  disposed  to  leave  the  house  of  God,  their 
meditations  might  be  assisted  by  singing  a  hymn  :  after 
which  I  again  spoke  about  three  quai'ters  of  an  hour.  There 
were  few  individuals  in  the  house  who  did  not  appear 
deeply  affected." 

From  the  borders  of  North  Carolina,  Mr.  Alexander 
returned  by  the  way  of  Charlotte,  in  Virginia.  In  fulfilling 
his  appointments,  it  is  believed  in  Mecklenburg,  he  met  wdth 
the  following  interesting  occurrence  ;  "  A  young  man  named 
William  Boyd  w^as  afraid  to  come  into  the  house  of  wor- 
ship, lest  he  should  be  seized  with  religious  impressions  ;  but 
feeling  a  strong  curiosity  to  hear  th^  young  preacher,  he 
at  length  returned  and  took  a  seat  near  the  door,  that  he 
might  go  out  immediatelyif  any  thing  touched  him.  Though 
the  bow  was  drawn  at  venture,  the  arrow  took  effect ;  he 


PRESIDENT    WADDEL.  155 

went  home  under  strong  convictions  and  was  soon  hopefully 
converted,  and  at  an  early  age  became  an  elder  in  the 
church.  This  account  I  received  from  his  own  mouth.  He 
was  a  man  of  a  tender  and  gentle  spirit."  In  Charlotte,  he 
fell  in  with  Moses  Waddel,  afterwards  the  Kev.  Dr.  Waddel 
of  Georgia,  but  then  a  tutor  at  Hampden  Sidney  College. 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 

1792—1797. 

PRINCE     EDWARD     AND    CHARLOTTE EARLY    PREACHERS ^MK.     R0BIN30N — 

MR.  HENRY PROGRESS  IN  LEARNING SMITu's  RIVER — PASTORAL  SET- 
TLEMENT  MODE  OF  PREACHING PATRICK  HENRY  AND  JOHN  RAN- 
DOLPH— HAMPDEN  SIDNEY  COLLEGE — JOHN  H.  RICE — CONRAD  8PEECB — 
PRESIDENTSHIP    OF   THE    COLLEGE. 

THE  part  of  Virginia  with  whicVi  our  narrative  must  now 
for  some  time  be  concerned,  is  highly  interesting  to 
those  who  wish  to  study  Southern  institutions  in  their  con- 
nection with  Christianity.  There  is  no  portion  of  the  State 
or  country  where  the  bright  side  of  the  planter's  life  is 
more  agreeably  exhibited.  The  district  has  always  been  re- 
markable for  its  adaptation  to  tho  culture  of  a  particular 
variety  of  tobacco  which  usually  conmiands  high  prices,  and 
it  has  therefore  abounded  in  slaves.  Although  the  estates 
ai*e  less  extensive  than  in  the  cotton  districts  of  the  remoter 
South,  the  proprietors  enjoy  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life 
in  a  high  degree,  and  almost  every  family  has  some  man  of 
liberal  education  within  its  bosom.  Hospitality  and  genial 
warmth  may  be  said  to  be  universal.     Nowhere  in  the  South 


MR.    ROBINSON.  157 

has  the  Presbyterian  Church  had  greater  strength  among 
the  wealthy  and  cultivated  classes.  It  was  to  be  for  a  long 
time  the  theatre  of  Mr.  Alexander's  labours  ;  and  through- 
out life  he  looked  back  on  these  as  halcyon  days.  Some  of 
the  reminiscences  gathered  by  him  in  his  excursions  from 
persons  long  since  dead  must  find  a  place  in  these  pages. 

The  Eev.  Mr.  Kobinson,  one  of  the  pioneers.of  Virginia, 
preached  in  the  Caldwell  settlement  on  Cub  Creek,  in  the 
county  of  Charlotte.  It  was  a  small  colony  of  Scotch-Irish 
Presbyterians.  Among  the  first  ministers  settled  in  Vir- 
ginia, after  Mr.  Davies,  was  the  Kev.  Eobert  Henry,  who  was 
pastor  of  this  church  on  Cub  Creek.  He  was  a  pious  but 
blunt  man,  whose  natural  passions  were  strong  and  not  alto- 
gether disciplined.  His  preaching  was  unpolished  but  warm 
and  evangelical.  It  should  never  be  forgotten  that  like  Da- 
vies  he  laboured  faithfully  for  the  salvation  of  the  negroes, 
many  of  whom  were  converted  under  his  preaching.  The 
number  of  black  communicants  in  this  church  was  greater 
than  in  any  within  our  bounds  ;  and  in  general  these  con- 
verts maintained  a  consistent  Christian  character.  Even  at 
this  moment  the  fruits  of  these  labours  are  apparent.  From 
the  time  of  Mr.  Henry  the  names  of  black  communicants 
exceeded  those  of  the  whites,  and  were  probably  more  than 
a  hundred. 

Some  characteristic  anecdotes  of  Mr.  Henry  are  recorded 
in  the  manuscripts  before  us.  On  his  way  to  Briery  Meet- 
ing-House,  where  he  regularly  preached  once  a  fortnight, 
he  was  accustomed  to  lodge  at  Mr.  Morton's,  near  the  Little 
Roanoke  bridge.     It  was  his  manner,  on  turning  into  the 


158  MR.    HENRY. 

forest  through  which  the  road  lay,  to  throw  the  reins  upon 
the  neck  of  his  horse,  and  to  engage  in  prayer  aloud.  On 
one  occasion  he  was  so  absorbed  in  this  exercise,  that  the 
horse  reached  the  door  before  Mr.  Henry  had  ended  his  de- 
votions. Such  was  his  absence  of  mind  that  he  sometimes 
mistook  his  own  horse  on  coming  from  the  place  of  worship. 

Mr.  Henry  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  but  his  name 
appears  among  the  early  graduates  of  Princeton,  in  1751. 
At  that  time  all  who  had  not  taken  regular  degrees  else- 
where were  required  by  their  Presbyteries  to  pass  through 
the  College  of  New  Jersey. 

"  The  Hebrew  Bible,"  says  the  narrative,  "  which  I 
found  among  the  old  books  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Henry's 
widow,  I  brought  with  me  to  Philadelphia.  Having  there 
obtained  one  more  complete,  I  transferred  this  to  Mr.  Belle- 
ville, then  a  student,  who  with  a  pen  very  neatly  supplied 
the  chapters  which  were  wanting.  Since  the  establishment 
of  the  Seminary,  this  very  volume  has  come  in  as  a  present, 
and  may  be  seen  in  the  library.  I  found  here  also  several 
books  of  Latin  theology,  but  all  much  injured.  Among 
them  was  Chemnitius's  Examen  ConcUii  Tridenttni,  from 
which  I  derived  my  first  accurate  knowledge  of  the  Komish 
tenets. 

The  Kev.  William  Kobinson,  already  mentioned  as  the 
first  preacher  in  the  Caldwell  Settlement,  came  from  the 
Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick.  He  formed  the  purpose  of 
visiting  all  the  scattered  Presbyterians  in  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina,  and  as  many  others  as  might  be  willing  to  hear. 
When  lie  first  arrived  in  these  parts  great  joy  was  felt  by 


AUSTIN.  159 

the  pious  settlers.  A  stand,  or  tent  (for  both  names  were 
used),  was  made  ready,  and  notice  was  sent  round  in  all 
directions  that  a  preacher  had  come  from  the  North. 
"Among  others  one  Austin,  a  half-breed  Indian,  was  called 
uj^on.  This  man  was  notorious  for  violence  of  temper,  a 
quarrelsome  disposition,  and  shocking  profaneness.  His  wife 
expressed  some  desire  to  go  to  the  meeting,  which  he  swore 
she  should  not  do.  But  he  nevertheless  went  himself,  and 
not  intending  to  hear  any  thing  lay  down  on  some  leaves, 
near  the  outskirts  of  the  large  congregation.  Here  he  was 
apparently  slumbering,  when  the  preacher  announced  his 
text,  '  Awake  thou  that  sleepest ! '  The  words  conveyed  a 
barbed  arrow  to  Austin's  conscience.  In  a  moment  he 
started  to  his  feet,  and  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  speaker,  gradu- 
ally advancing  towards  the  stand,  until  towards  the  close  of 
the  discourse  he  was  standing  near  Mr.  Kobinson's  feet, 
gazing  into  his  face,  while  streams  of  tears  ran  down  his 
tawny  cheeks.  After  sermon  he  returned  home  in  silence. 
He  appeared  to  be  in  gteat  agony  of  mind,  so  that  his  wife 
was  in  excessive  terror.  At  night,  instead  of  going  early  to 
bed,  as  was  his  custom,  he  walked  to  and  fro  before  his 
house  until  midnight ;  when  unable  any  longer  to  conceal 
his  distress,  he  came  into  the  house,  and  declared  that  he 
was  an  undone  sinner,  and  that  he  had  heard  that  day 
things  which  had  never  come  to  .his  ears  before.  For  a  day 
or  two  this  distress  continued,  and  then  he  obtained  relief 
by  as  clear  views  of  the  Gospel  as  he  had  previously  had  of 
the  Law.  This  profane  and  violent  man  was  become  as 
meek  as  a  lamb.     To  this  account  I  received  some  additions 


160  BAPTIST    COUNCIL. 

from  old  Mrs.  Morton,  of  Little  Roanoke  Bridge,  who  said 
she  had  often  conversed  with  Mr.  Davies,  Dr.  VVaddel,  Dr. 
Smith,  and  many  other  eminent  ministers,  but  with  none 
from  whom  she  received  so  much  edification  as  from  Austin. 
When  persons  were  in  distress  about  their  salvation,  it  was 
common  to  send  for  him  ;  and  in  one  case  he  had  been  sum- 
moned to  go  thirty  miles  into  Lunenburg." 

These  journeys  of  Gospel  service  were  not  without  their 
crosses.  Mr.  Alexander  speaks  of  preaching  at  Tomahawk 
in  Pittsylvania,  while  racked  with  toothache,  and  then  riding 
seventeen  miles  in  the  rain,  without  an  umbrella.  At  this 
time  he  had  apppointments  to  preach  almost  every  day  for 
many  weeks.  In  some  places  the  avidity  of  the  people  to 
hear  the  Word  was  such,  that  he  speaks  of  having  preached 
"  night  and  day  for  a  good  part  of  a  week."  He  penetrated 
into  Henry  County,  preaching  on  his  way  at  Leatherwood, 
in  the  house  where  Patrick  Henry  lived  several  years  after 
leaving  Prince  Edward.  In  his  later  years  Dr.  Alexandei 
used  to  relate  with  much  animation  his  meeting,  in  this 
county,  w^ith  several  pious  but  illiterate  Baptist  preachers,  by 
whom  he  was  very  cordially  received.  They  marvelled  at 
the  pocket  Greek  Testament  in  w^hich  he  read,  and  invited 
him  to  a  council  of  ministers.  "  The  aftair,  however,  was  not 
ready  for  the  trial,  and  Father  Anthony,  the  pastor,  w-ent 
round  to  the  clergy  present,  offering  each  one  his  small  Bible, 
to  go  up  into  the  pulpit  and  preach  ;  but  all  refused.  Upon 
vhich.the  old  gentleman  said,  ^  Brethren,  if  none  of  you  will 
consent,  I  will  preach  myself,  and  my  text  shall  be  concern- 
ing that  wicked  and  slothful  servant  who  would  not  do  his 


SMITH  S    RIVER.  161 

Lord's  Nrork.  I  know  why  you  are  all  unwilling  ;  it  is  be- 
cause so  few  are  out.  But  I  tell  you  there  are  more  here 
than  you  will  be  able  to  convert.  The  best  sermon  I  ever 
preached  was  to  two  persons  ;  and  by  the  blessing  of  God 
they  were  both  converted.'  After  this  pithy  little  cojicio  ad 
clerum^  he  approached  one  of  them,  saying,  ^  Brother  HaU^ 
preach  ; '  and  the  other  without  a  word  of  excuse  ascended 
the  pulpit,  and  gave  us  a  very  passable  sermon." 

The  country  into  which  his  mission  now  took  him  is  emi- 
nently picturesque.  "  Smith's  Kiver,"  to  use  his  own  words, 
"  rises  in  the  Blue  Kidge,  and  its  head  spring  is  very  near 
the  head  spring  of  New  River,  which  falls  into  the  Ohio,  as 
Smith's  does  into  the  Roanoke.  The  mountain  range  at  this 
place  sinks  low,  and  is  cultivated  on  both  sides  nearly  to  the 
top.  On  the  eastern  side  there  is  a  beautiful  cove  of  table- 
land, where  a  number  of  mountain  streams  come  together 
and  form  Smith's  River.  The  soil  along  these  waters  is  ex- 
ceedingly fertile,  and  the  land  lying  low  and  sheltered  on  all 
sides  by  mountains,  enjoys  a  very  temperate  climate  in  winter. 
Except  over  the  Blue  Ridge,  there  is  but  one  way  into  the 
settlement  which  is  practicable  for  wheels,  and  this  winds  so 
much  that  for  twelve  or  thirteen  miles  there  were  no  habita- 
tions on  the  road.  Along  this  way  I  entered  from  old  Mrs. 
Houston's,  where  I  had  lodged.  The  leading  man  in  this 
settlement  was  one  Squire  Pilson.  He  had  been  a  Presby- 
terian elder  for  eighteen  years,  without  knowing  any  thing 
experimentallyof  religion,  until  Mr.  Mitchell  and  Mr.  Turner, 
from  Bedford,  made  a  preaching  visit  to  this  sequestered 
S[)ut.  He  was  then  remarkably  converted.  Pie  took  every 
II 


162  A    MOUNTAIN    NOOK. 

opportunity  of  making  religious  addresses  to  his  neighbours, 
and  was  always  greatly  rejoiced  to  see  any  minister  arrive, 
hoping  that  a  blessing  would  attend  his  labours.  Books  were 
rare  in  this  nook  of  the  mountains.  He  had  fallen  upon 
Gregory's  Legacy  to  his  Daughter,  and  invited  some  of  his 
neighbours  to  come  to  his  house  and  hear  it  read.  This 
meeting  took  place  the  day  after  my  arrival.  He  read  the 
book  through,  and  in  so  doing  shed  many  tears.'' 

Dr.  Alexander  was  often  heard  to  describe  the  odd  ap- 
pearance of  the  women  in  this  out-of-the-way  place.  Having 
little  intercourse  wath  the  rest  of  the  world,  they  cut  their 
dresses  after  the  exact  pattern  which  their  grandmothers 
brought  with  them.  Mr.  Pilson  had  been  with  his  wagon  to 
Petersburg,  and  had  brought  his  daughter  a  beautiful  piece 
of  changeable  silk.  This  she  made  up  after  the  fashion 
aforesaid,  with  cuffs  upon  cuffs,  reaching  almost  to  the 
ground,  a  stomacher  broad  at  the  top  and  tapering  down- 
ward to  a  point,  with  ribbons  crossing  each  other  very  elabo- 
rately. 

Among  these  secluded  people  he  preached  a  number  of 
times.  But  even  here  there  were  religious  animosities,  which 
operated  as  liinderances  to  the  truth.  One  of  the  principal 
men  was  a  bigoted  opponent  of  Watts's  Psalms.  He  had 
gone  to  hear  the  Keverend  William  Calhoon,  and  had  con- 
tended with  him  on  this  subject ;  so  that  when  the  next 
itinerant  missionary  came,  he  would  not  go  to  hear  him. 
From  Smith's  River  Mr.  Alexander  went  into  Franklin 
County,  where  there  was  a  small  place  of  worship,  called,  it 
is  believed,  Wood's  Meeting-House.     But  as  he  had  now 


FAMILY    WORSHIP.  163 

traversed  all  the  counties  included  in  his  commission,  and 
as  the  Virginia  Synod  was  soon  to  meet,  he  prepared  to  go 
homeward.  Mr.  Calhoon,  afterwards  a  connection  hy  mar- 
riage, here  became  his  companion.  They  crossed  the  Blue 
Eidge  at  one  of  its  lowest  passes.  The  record  of  these 
events  takes  notice  of  a  mountain  spring  of  uncommon 
beauty.  "  It  boiled  up  in  the  midst  of  clear  white  sand, 
which  it  threw  up  in  a  jet,  and  covered  a  considerable  circu- 
lar space.  The  outlet  was  like  a  mill-tail,  and  within  less 
than  two  hundred  yards  of  the  fountain,  two  mills  were 
turned  by  the  water."  The  travellers  were  very  desirous  to 
overtake  Mr.  Matthew  Lyle,  who,  as  they  learned,  was  be- 
fore them ;  they  therefore  pushed  on  to  Fincastle.  Here 
they  met  with  an  experience  which  is  not  without  its  in- 
struction. 

"  We  put  up  at  the  principal  inn,  and  the  people  ap- 
peared civil  enough,  and  the  house  was  quiet ;  but  we  were 
scarcely  seated  before  a  great  company  of  gentlefolks  arrived 
from  the  Sweet  Springs.  The  house  was  soon  full  of  noise 
and  confusion ;  for  these  persons  affirmed  that  they  had 
that  day  crossed  no  less  than  seven  mountains ;  they  were 
accordingly  fatigued,  hungry,  and  out  of  humour.  In  those 
days  it  was  customary  for  the  preachers  in  Virginia  to  have 
worship  wherever  they  stopped  for  the  night.  On  this  occa- 
sion I  was  in  favour  of  dispensing  with  the  service,  as  we 
could  hear  the  noise  and  profaneness  of  the  new-comers. 
But  Mr.  Calhoon,  always  one  of  the  most  conscientious  men, 
insisted  that  we  should  do  our  duty,  and  inquired  of  the 
host  whether  he  would  have  any  objection  to  our  holding 


164  INNKEEPERS. 

family  worship  with  him  and  his  guests.  But  no  sooner  was 
it  mentioned  to  the  visitors  than  the  whole  house  was  in 
uproar  ;  some  calling  for  candles,  and  some  for  slippers,  till 
the  whole  of  a  large  company  of  gentlemen  scampered  oiF  to 
bed,  to  escape  the  infliction  of  a  prayer.  The  tavern-keeper, 
however,  brought  in  his  wife,  and  Mr.  Calhoon,  who  offi- 
ciated, vociferated  so  loudly,  that  no  one  in  any  part  of  the 
building,  or  of  the  neighbouring  houses,  could  fail  to  hear 
him.  I  felt  uncomfortable,  aaid  was  led  to  think  that  this 
method  of  forcing  prayers  on  irreligious  people  could  do  no 
good." 

The  analogy  of  the  subject  leads  us  here  to  introduce  a 
couple  of  anecdotes,  which  he  used  to  tell  with  much  enjoy- 
ment ;  we  are  able  to  give  almost  his  very  words,  but  the 
charm  of  his  narrative  must  be  supplied  by  those  who  re- 
member the  humorous  vivacity  of  his  manner.  ''  In  tra- 
velling to  the  north,''  said  he,  "I  lodged  in  a  large  and 
pleasant  public-house  at  Elkton.  There  was  no  company, 
and  the  host  appeared  serious  and  intelligent.  We  con- 
versed all  the  evening  on  the  subject  of  religion.  I  did  not 
tell  him  that  I  was  a  clergyman,  but  supposed  that  he  would 
infer  it.  When  it  drew  near  bed-time,  I  said  to  him,  in  as 
gentle  a  manner  as  j)ossible,  ^  Have  you  any  objection  to 
having  prayers  in  your  house  ? '  lie  was  much  confused, 
and  after  stammering  a  little,  replied,  '  You  nmst  excuse 
me — you  must  excuse  me  ;  I  live  here  in  a  public  way — but 
I  hope  I  do  not  forget  the  proper  reflections  when  I  lie  down 
at  night.'  I  was  astonished,  both  at  his  refusal  and  his 
reasons  ;  and  it  was  not  until  I  was  in  bed  that  the  true 


PRAYER   IN    A    TAVERN.  165 

state  of  the  case  flashed  upon  my  mind.  Recalling  the  form 
of  my  request,  I  perceived  that  he  thought  I  was  asking  him 
to  officiate  in  family  worship.  When  I  went  to  the  har  to 
pay  my  reckoning,  he  was  reserved  and  distant ;  no  doubt 
thinking  me  an  impudent  fellow,  who  wanted  to  set  him 
a-praying  in  his  own  tavern." 

The  other  story  is  a  kindred  one.  "  Once  when  I  was 
going,"  said  he,  "from  the  Northern  Neck  to  Richmond, 
the  sun  went  down  as  I  approached  a  tavern  well  known  as 
the  Piping  Tree.  Finding  no  company,  and  seeing  many 
servants  about  the  house,  I  felt  it  to  be  a  duty  to  ask  the 
privilege  of  praying  in  the  family.  The  innkeeper  was 
quite  an  old  man,  of  hoary  head,  and  yet  as  thoughtless  of 
religion  as  a  chikl.  He  said  he  belonged  to  the  old  English 
church  ;  but  that  it  had  now  gone  down.  He  spoke  of 
abundance  of  Baptists  and  Methodists  in  the  neighbour- 
hood ;  and  against  the  latter  his  feelings  were  much  aroused. 
I  requested  him  to  call  in  his  family,  sapng  I  should  like  to 
pray  with  them.  '  Bless  you,'  said  he,  '  I  have  no  family  ; 
I  have  had  the  misfortune  to  have  two  wives,  and  have  lost 
them  both.'  I  replied  that  there  w^ere  numerous  servants, 
and  that  their  souls  were  precious.  ^  To  be  sure — to  be 
sure  ! '  said  he,  and  began  to  call  in  one  and  another,  so  that 
the  room  was  soon  pretty  well  filled.  I  said  something  to 
them,  and  ofifered  a  prayer.  A  large,  fine-looking  black 
man  remained  to  take  my  boots  and  show  me  to  bed.  But 
before  we  left  the  room  my  host  approached  the  negro  with 
a  threatening  countenance,  and  began  to  berate  him  for 
being  a  Methodist.     ^  There,'  said  he,  ^  there  now's  a  prayer 


166  CLOSE   OF   MISSION. 

for  yon  !  Did  you  ever  hear  a  Methodist  make  a  prayer 
like  that  ?  No,  you  black  fool,  you  never  did — you  never 
did/  I  was  really  afraid  he  would  make  an  assault  on  my 
poor  attendant,  who  however  got  off  with  me  to  my  cham- 
ber, where  I  talked  with  him,  and  found  him  to  all  appear- 
ance an  humble,  pious  man." 

Ileturning  to  our  narrative  we  have  to  record,  that  the 
next  day  they  joined  Mr.  Lyle,  and  went  to  the  house  of  the 
Rev.  Edward  Crawford,  the  only  Presbyterian  minister  in 
Botetourt  County.  He  was  a  native  of  the  Valley,  and  a 
graduate  of  Princeton,  in  the  year  1775.  Thence  they  went 
to  the  Pastures,  to  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  in 
the  church  of  the  Rev.  John  Montgomery.  This  good  man 
had  a  gift  of  pleasing  eloquence,  and  was  settled  in  a  field 
of  much  extent,  where,  however,  he  seems  to  have  had  small 
success.  This  was  the  last  stage  of  our  young  missionar}^ 
before  reaching  his  native  place,  where  he  arrived  with 
greatly  improved  health,  after  a  tour  of  six  months,  in 
which  he  had  visited  the  counties  of  Amherst,  Rockingham, 
Prince  Edward,  Charlotte,  Lunenburg,  Nottoway,  Amelia, 
Dinwiddie,  Prince  George,  Mecklenburg,  Halifax,  Pittsylva- 
nia, Patrick,  Henry,  Franklin,  and  Botetourt,  in  Virginia, 
and  of  Granville,  Wake,  and  some  others  in  North  Carolina. 
After  making  his  report  to  the  Commission  of  Synod,  he 
was  directed  to  return  at  once  to  Lunenburg  and  Nottoway, 
with  permission  to  spend  a  few  weeks  in  Prince  Edward. 
On  arriving  in  Nottoway  he  found  the  appearances  less 
favourable  than  on  the  previous  visit.  After  passing  a  few 
weeks  there,  he  therefore  proceeded  again  along  his  former 


PASTORAL    SETTLEMENT.  167 

track;  with  events  very  similar  to  those  which  have  been 
recited. 

It  has  been  already  stated  that  the  Eev.  John  Blair 
Smith  had  accepted  a  call  to  Philadelphia.  Upon  this  the 
congregations  of  Briery  and  Cumberland,  together  with  the 
Trustees  of  Hampden  Sidney  College,  invited  Mr.  Graham 
to  take  charge  of  both  the  college  and  churches.  The  call 
was  unsuccessful,  and  the  attention  of  the  people  was  at 
once  turned  to  Mr.  Alexander.  All  the  Presbyterian  con- 
gregations in  that  part  of  the  county  were  vacant,  namely, 
Cumberland,  including  the  College,  Briery,  Buffalo,  and  Cub 
Creek,  including  Charlotte  Court  House.  Mr.  Lacy  was  a 
regular  supply  for  the  two  first  named.  After  consultation 
it  was  determined  that  all  these  churches  should  unite  in 
calling  two  ministers,  who  should  serve  them  in  rotation. 
The  number  of  preaching  places  was  six,  and  the  persons 
designated  were  Mr.  Lacy  and  Mr.  Alexander,  who  both 
signified  their  acceptance.  They  immediately  entered  on 
their  laborious  circuit,  the  field  being  not  less  than  sixty 
miles  in  length  and  thirty  in  breadth,  distances  which  they 
were  to  traverse  on  horseback. 

Although  Mr.  Alexander  was  induced  to  take  a  pastoral 
charge  so  early,  from  a  desire  to  pursue  theological  study,  he 
now  found  that  he  must  spend  most  of  his  days  in  the  saddle. 
The  plan  was  moreover  found  to  be  unsatisfactory  to  the 
people,  who  were  too  far  removed  from  their  pastors.  It 
was  therefore  agreed  that  a  division  of  the  parochial  diocese 
should  take  place  ;  in  pursuance  of  which,  Mr.  Alexander 
received  for  his  share  the  churches  of  Briery  and  Cub  Creek. 


168  MRS.    LEGRAND. 

His  residence  was  in  the  county  of  Charlotte,  at  the  house 
of  Major  Edmund  Read.  And  by  a  remarkable  coincidence, 
one  of  his  sons,  when  first  settled  in  the  ministry,  dwelt  in 
the  same  house  thirty  years  afterwards,  and  enjoyed  the 
hospitality  of  the  same  Christian  lady,  Paulina  LeGrand, 
formerly  Mrs.  Read.  Here,  at  the  mansion  still  known  as  Re- 
tirement, about  two  miles  from  the  Court  House,  Mr.  Alexan- 
der resided  three  or  four  years.  The  lofty  oaks  under  which  he 
walked  and  sat  still  remain,  among  the  noblest  of  their  kind, 
and  when  we  last  saw  the  place,  a  small  separate  house 
used  by  him  as  a  study,  was  yet  standing. 

Mrs.  Read,  afterwards  Mrs.  LeGrand,  was  widely  known 
and  honoured  among  Christians  of  every  name  in  Virginia. 
It  is  probable  that  no  house  in  the  land  ever  opened  its 
doors  to  more  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  A  whole  Presbytery 
was  sometimes  sheltered  under  her  roof  Her  wealth  was 
largely  dispensed  in  acts  of  charity.  Though  of  a  desponding 
turn  as  to  her  own  spiritual  state,  she  was  perpetually  occu- 
pied with  religious  thoughts  and  employments,  and  was  a 
devoted  hearer  of  the  word.  Having  been  recently  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  evangelical  truth,  she  was  at  this  time 
full  of  zeal,  and  unwearied  in  her  endeavours  to  second  all 
Gospel  labours.  Her  recollections  of  Mr.  Alexander  and  his 
youthful  ministry  were  lively  and  affectionate.  She  loved  to 
expatiate  on  his  ardent  piety  and  acceptable  preaching. 
From  her  representations,  it  would  appear  that  at  this  period 
of  his  life,  he  was  burning  with  desire  to  save  the  souls  of 
men,  and  frequent  in  his  personal  addresses  to  all  who  were 
accessible  on  this  all-inio  );tant  subject.   While  in  her  house, 


PASTORAL    CARES.  169 

he  redeemed  much  time  for  study,  and  though  his  discourses 
were  extemporaneous,  he  sometimes  wrote  them  out  with 
much  care  after  delivery.  We  have  seen  in  the  hands  of 
Mrs.  LeGrand,  a  manuscript  vohime  containing  nine  sermons, 
thus  written  in  a  fair  and  beautiful  hand.  They  were  re- 
markable for  the  same  simple  perspicuity  which  characterized 
whatever  proceeded  from  his  pen.  This  volume,  after  some 
effort,  we  have  not  been  able  to  recover,  though  we  have  a 
few  scattered  discourses  of  the  same  period.  The  date  ol? 
his  ordination  and  installation  was  May  5,  1795. 

Some  of  the  anxieties  of  a  young  pastor,  overburdened 
by  the  greatness  of  an  unaccustomed  charge,  may  be  dis- 
covered in  the  following  narrative.  "  As  the  chief  reason 
for  the  division  just  mentioned  was  the  desire  expressed 
by  many,  that  they  might  have  pastoral  visits,  and  an 
opportunity  of  knowing  their  minister,  I  determined  to  begin 
a  regular  course  of  this  kind.  I  accordingly  went  to  Col. 
Charles  Allen,  the  elder  who  lived  furthest  east,  and  gained 
his  consent  to  go  with  me  through  that  section  of  the  congre- 
gation, beginning  with  old  Mr.  Kedd's,  on  Bush  Kiver,  as 
the  remotest  house.  We  arrived  pretty  early  in  the  day. 
The  old  gentleman  was  out  in  a  distant  part  of  his  estate, 
where  the  hands  were  clearing  ground,  but  was  sent  for  by 
his  wife.  Although  we  told  her  that  we  came  not  to  dine, 
she  gave  no  heed,  but  set  all  around  her  in  motion  to  pre- 
pare viands.  The  chickens  were  chased  in  all  directions,  fires 
were  kindled,  closets  were  searched,  and  I  soon  found  that 
we  should  scarcely  be  able  to  get  away.  After  some  time, 
the  old  gentleman  came  in  ;   but  before  he  could  be  seen  he 


170  A   FAMILY    VISIT. 

must  shave  his  beard  and  put  on  some  clean  clothes.  We 
now  repeated  our  wish  to  see  the  family  collected,  but  the 
mistress  and  her  maids  were  now  in  the  act  of  preparing  a 
fat  turkey  for  the  spit.  For  hours  we  had  none  to  converse 
with  but  the  master  of  the  house,  and  conversation  with 
this  old  tobacco  planter  was  not  easy.  He  seemed  like  one 
sitting  on  nettles.  I  informed  him  of  the  object  of  our 
visit. — '  Very  good. — Very  glad  to  see  the  parson. — Live  so 
far  from  church  that  I  can  seldom  get  there.^  At  length  he 
thought  he  would  use  his  privilege  of  asking  a  question. 
And  that  which  he  propounded  was  about  the  meaning  of 
that  passage,  where  it  is  said  that  seven  women  should  take 
hold  of  one  man.  I  was  obliged  to  tell  him  that  I  did  not 
know,  intimating  that  the  knowledge  of  this  was  not  essen- 
tial to  salvation.  '  Very  true,'  said  he  ;  '  but  I  have  thought 
it  might  refer  to  our  times,  when  so  many  men  have  been 
killed  in  the  French  Revolution,  and  in  the  consequent 
wars.'  Late  in  the  day  the  table  was  spread  with  an  enor- 
mous dinner.  By  the  time  this  was  concluded,  a  thunder- 
storm burst  over  us,  and  detained  us  until  near  sunset. 
Thus  a  whole  day  was  wasted  in  visiting  one  family,  and  that 
without  the  least  benefit.  I  found  that  among  a  people  so 
widely  scattered,  and  unaccustomed  to  such  a  thing,  no 
progress  could  be  made  in  this  way.  I  adopted  the  method 
of  preaching  in  different  parts  of  the  bounds,  in  private 
houses.  But  here  a  mischievous  custom  existed.  After 
worship  was  over,  as  many  as  thirty  persons  would  some- 
times stay  to  dine.  This  was  by  invitation  of  the  family, 
and  to  some  must  have  been  a  heavy  tax.      But  the  old 


SlUDY    OF    SERMONS.  l^J 

Virginians  never  count  the  cost  of  dinners,  even  when  they 
give  very  little  for  the  support  of  the  Gospel." 

The  habits  of  preaching  which  marked  the  whole  minis- 
terial life  of  Dr.  Alexander  were  formed  during  this  period  ; 
and  he  may  be  considered  the  best,  witness  as  to  his  own 
methods.  "While  itinerating,"  says  he,  "I  studied  my 
sermons  in  my  mind  ;  and  seldom  preached  without  intense 
application  of  my  thoughts  to  the  subject  beforehand.  Texts 
of  Scripture  would  often  open  to  my  view,  and  these  I  would 
seize  upon  for  discourses.  The  necessity  of  thus  composing 
in  the  evening  and  morning  where  I  lodged,  or  as  I  rode 
along  the  way,  proved  a  good  discipline,  as  it  accustomed 
me  to  close  thinking  and  to  going  over  and  over  the  same 
train  of  thought.  I  was,  however,  often  greatly  disappointed 
and  mortified  ;  for  when  I  had  great  freedom  in  premeditation 
I  naturally  expected  the  same  in  preaching.  But  this  was 
sometimes  far  from  being  the  case.  On  some  occasions  a 
text  would  strike  my  mind  shortly  before  speaking,  accom- 
panied with  a  strong  aversion  to  the  subject  proposed.  I 
commonly  ventured  on  the  new  topic,  and  in  such  cases 
almost  always  had  better  success  than  usual.  Not  unfre- 
quently,  while  I  was  preaching,  my  subject  would  present 
itself  in  new  lights,  much  more  favourable  than  preceding 
ones,  so  that  I  have  often  changed  my  whole  plan  of  treat- 
ment. Though  the  thought  was  often  suggested  to  me, 
^  that  is  very  good,'  yet  when  I  was  done  I  was  greatly  hum- 
bled^ and  sometimes  so  discouraged  as  to  feel  as  if  I  could 
never  venture  into  the  pulpit  again.  I  have  commonly  felt 
that  the  people  who  admired  my  preaching  were  deceived." 


172  MANNER    OF    PREACHING. 

From  following  a  premeditated  train  of  thought,  he  fell 
into  a  habit  of  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  floor,  which  was  a 
great  hinderance.  In' later  years  no  man  could  be  more  free 
from  any  such  fault ;  as  all  his  hearers  will  remember  the 
piercing  look  with  which  he  was  accustomed  to  single  out 
individuals  in  the  congregation.  In  reference  to  this  early 
period,  he  describes  his.  own  preaching  as  occupied  much  with 
Christian  experience.  When  his  text  was  figurative,  he 
usually  carried  the  imagery  through  the  whole  discourse. 
He  allowed  himself  a  license  of  accommodation  which  his 
later  judgment  disapproved.  The  parables  were  favourite 
themes.  The  excessive  rapidity  of  his  utterance  sometimes 
exhausted  his  natural  fervour  before  he  had  arrived  at  the 
application.  But  while  he  speaks  thus  humbly  of  his  own 
performances,  it  is  certain  from  the  testimony  of  others,  that 
his  popularity  was  unbounded,  and  that  he  already  ranked 
in  public  estimation  among  the  first  preachers  in  the  country. 

In  his  manuscript  record  he  turns  aside  from  time  to 
time  to  speak  of  his  private  friends,  some  of  whom  were 
eminent  in  the  church.  Among  these  a  place  is  justly  given 
to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Brown,  who  was  now  one  of  his  fellow- 
labourers.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  native  of  Bedford,  and  a  sub- 
ject of  the  revival  already  mentioned.  "He  began  his 
classical  course  after  he  w^as  grown,  and  was  hurried  in  his 
studies.  But  his  original  mind  was  constantly  employed  in 
thinking  out  difficult  points  in  theology  ;  so  that  by  the 
time  he  was  through  his  course  he  was  in  many  respects  a 
profound  theologian.  His  religion  was  of  the  best  kind ; 
deep,  lively,  and  Scriptural.     He  became  early  attached  tc 


SAMUEL   BEOWN,  173 

the  writings  of  President  Edwards  ;  and  this  both  encouraged 
and  directed  him  in  his  investigations.  Indeed  he  always  ap- 
peared to  me  to  have  a  mind  much  like  that  of  Edwards  ;  not 
remarkable  for  quickness,  but  profound  and  sure,  and  free 
from  the  aberrations  to  which  men  of  greater  vivacity  are 
subject.  Whatever  he  read  seemed  to  be  merely  the  occa- 
sion of  opening  new  trains  of  thought  to  his  own  mind. 
He  possessed  great  ardour  and  generosity,  and  w^as  suscepti- 
ble of  the  strongest  attachments  of  friendship  ;  indeed  all 
his  affections  were  of  uncommon  vigour.  If  he  had  possessed 
advantages  of  person  and  voice,  he  would  have  exceeded  as 
a  preacher  all  that  I  ever  heard.  Though  he  had  a  fine  eye, 
deeply  sunk  in  its  orbit,  and  much  benignity  of  countenance, 
his  face  was  plain,  with  a  slight  distortion  of  the  mouth,  and 
a  certain  efilorescence  over  the  cheek  bones  which  was  un- 
sightly. Nevertheless  he  was  a  clear,  original,  powerful  and 
often  eloquent  preacher.  Even  his  voice  became  forcible  and 
penetrating,  when  toned  by  strong  feeling ;  and  he  succeeded 
in  communicating  to  his  hearers  the  elevation  of  his  senti- 
ments and  the  benevolence  of  his  feelings.  Sometimes,  in- 
deed, when  his  mind  was  not  roused,  his  preaching  was  indif- 
ferent ;  but  on  occasions  which  called  forth  his  powers,  or 
when  his  pious  feelings  were  in  lively  exercise,  his  perform- 
ances were  certainly  among  the  best  I  ever  heard.  He 
excelled  in  apt  illustration,  and  was  thus  able  to  render 
abstract  truth  plain  to  men  of  common  minds. 

"Mr.  Brown  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  of  New 
Providence,  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  He  had  a  turn  for 
business,  both  mechanical  and  agricultural,  and  finding  his 


174  SAMUEL   BROWN. 

family  increasing  around  him  he  devoted  himself  with  much 
ardour  to  secular  pursuits  ;  so  that  for  some  years  his  im- 
provement was  not  equal  to  what  might  have  been  expected 
from  his  talents.  As  far  as  is  known  to  me  he  never  puh- 
hshed  any  thing.  His  most  elaborate  trains  of  thought 
were  studied  without  a  word  being  committed  to  paper. 
Mr.  Brown  felt  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  related  to  the 
welfare  of  his  country,  and  therefore,  T\nthout  being  a  politic 
clan,  entered  warmly  into  those  views  which  he  believed  to 
be  dictated  by  sound  policy.  He  patronized  \yith  zeal  the 
College  of  Washington,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 

"The  close  of  this  good  man's  life  was  somewhat 
remarkable.,  He  had  sold  the  farm  on  which  he  first  set- 
tled, and  bought  another,  larger  and  better  situated,  on 
which  he  was  engaged  in  erecting  a  commodious  dwelling- 
house.  As  he  was  dextrous  in  the  use  of  tools,  he  often  put 
to  his  hand  to  help  forward  the  work.  One  day,  some  ex- 
ertion being  required  to  remove  some  timbers,  he  turned 
in,  and  while  thus  engaged  suddenly  complained  of  being 
sick,  sunk  down,  and  expired  in  a  few  minutes,  in  the 
very  prime  of  life.  His  successor,  the  Kev.  Mr.  Morrison, 
married  his  only  daughter,  l^ive  of  his  sons  are  now  minis- 
ters of  the  Gospel,  and  the  sixth  has  received  a  liberal 
education,  and  is  I  believe  a  communicant  in  the  church." 

The  connection  of  Mr.  Alexander  with  a  number  of  con- 
gregations, sometimes  as  a  temporary  supply  and  sometimes 
as  pastor,  leads  to  so  much  confusion,  that  we  prefer  to 
throw  together  the  several  dates,  as  collected  by  the  Rev 


HOUSTON  THE  SHAKER.  175 

Dr.  Foote.  It  appears,  then,  that  he  presented  his  testimo- 
nials to  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover,  November  8,  1793,  at 
which  time  he  received  calls  to  become  collegiate  pastor  with 
Mr.  Lacy  of  Cumberland,  Briery,  Buffalo  and  Cub  Creek ; 
which  calls  he  did  not  accept.  On  October  22,  1794,  he 
received  calls  from  Cub  Creek  and  Briery^.  He  was  ordained 
at  Briery,  June  7,  1794,  and  was  dismissed  from  Cub  Creek, 
April  11,  1797,  and  from  Briery,  November  16,  1798.  He 
took  his  seat  as  President,  May  31,  1797, 

Being  now  established  in  a  charge,  it  was  natural  for  him 
to  desire  that  some  of  his  early  associates  should  be  near 
him.  After  a  di^ppointment  in  regard  to  Mr.  Brown's  set- 
tling in  Mecklenburg,  he  turned  his  attention  to  Mr. 
Matthew  Houston,  as  a  friend  remarkable  for  his  free  and 
pleasant  temper.  Houston  had  been  a  student  at  the 
Liberty  Hall  Academy.  He  was  frequently  under  rehgious 
concern,  and  amidst  impressions  received  during  the  revival 
made  a  profession  of  his  faith,  though  without  pungent 
convictions  or  any  strongly  marked  exercises.  He  had  a 
vein  of  wit,  and  fell  into  levities  which  attracted  attention. 
With  moderate  talents,  but  warm  feelings,  he  spoke  with 
fluency  and  acceptance.  Houston  received  an  appointment 
to  be  a  missionary  for  six  months  in  Mecklenburg.  But  his 
frivolity  alienated  the  more  serious  of  his  people,  and  his 
animated  and  shallow  preaching  had  little  effect.  He  re- 
moved to  Kentucky,  where  he  became  popular.  About  the 
year  1800,  \  great  awakening  spread  like  wildfire  through 
Kentucky,  and  Houston  being  a  combustible  material  was 
soon  ignited.     His  mind  became  bewildered  and  deeply  in- 


176  PURSUIT    OF   KNOWLEDGE. 

fected  with  the  prevalent  enthusiasm  ;  until,  in  1801,  he 
and  his  wife  and  a  number  of  his  people  were  so  infatuated  a? 
to  join  the  people  called  Shakers.  Both  church  and  congre- 
gation were  hereby  broken  up.  At  first  a  society  of  these 
fanatics  was  formed  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  ;  but 
they  ail  soon  removed  to  Ohio,  where  for  many  years  he  was 
the  presiding  elder  at  Lebanon.  When  he  was  just  seventy 
years  of  age,  he  sent  to  Dr.  Alexander,  then  of  Princeton,  a 
copy  of  the  Shaker  Testimony,  accompanied  with  a  short 
note,  in  which  he  declared  that  since  uniting  with  this 
people,  he  had  enjoyed  uninterrupted  happiness.  Of  his 
subsequent  history  nothing  is  known. 

In  the  occasional  retirement  of  liis  rural  study,  the 
young  pastor  endeavoured  to  make  up  for  lost  hours.  Most 
of  the  books  w^hich  he  had  read  up  to  this  time,  were  either 
borrowed  or  picked  up  at  the  places  w^here  he  lodged  ;  but 
their  rarity  led  him  to  devour  rather  than  to  peruse  them. 
Sometimes  he  found  in  unexpected  places  scarce  volumes, 
which  he  continued  to  read  while  he  was  in  those  neighbour- 
hoods. This  pursuit  of  knowledge  under  difiSculties  left  its 
mark  on  his  mind.  We  remember  to  have  heard  him  recite 
events  from  the  History  of  the  Arabians,  which  he  had  not 
opened  for  sixty  years.  At  the  house  of  an  old  German  on 
James  Kiver,  he  first  met  with  Stillingfleet's  Irenicam, 
which  he  read  with  great  avidity,  and  with  a  valuable  acces- 
sion to  his  knowledge  on  controverted  points  in  church 
polity.  The  main  principles  of  that  w^ork  he  retained  through 
life  as  his  own  ;  though  the  distinguished  author  is  said  to 
have  abandoned  them.     Though  he  preachecl  in  three  large 


RENEWED    STUDIES.  177 

counties,  he  continued  to  redeem  some  time  for  study,  and 
laid  out  a  small  sum  for  books.  Among  these  early  pur- 
chases, he  mentions  the  works  of  Keid  and  Stewart,  so  far 
as  then  published. 

He  was  further  stimulated  to  laborious  investigation  by  the 
alarming  prevalence  of  infidelity  in  his  native  State.  Paine's 
Age  of  Reason  was  widely  circulated  and  much  read  by  the 
young  men  of  the  country.  "  Indeed,"  says  he,  ^'  most  of 
our  educated  and  professional  young  men  became  Deists,  or 
worse.  Young  lawyers  openly  reviled  religion,  and  boldly 
attacked  its  serious  professors.  Many  of  those  who  enter- 
tained such  opinions  occasionally  attended  public  worship  ; 
and  in  these  circumstances  it  was  needful  to  study  the  evi- 
dences of  Christianity  with  care.  My  mind  was  so  occupied 
with  the  subject,  that  I  often  preached  on  it.  My  trial- 
sermon  for  ordination  was  entirely  on  this  topic  ;  the  text 
being  John  xvii.  17,  *  Thy  Word  is  Truth.'  I  also  undertook 
an  answer  to  Paine  ;  but  his  Second  Part  was  soon  pub- 
lished, and  then  Watson's  Apology,  which  I  considered  far 
better  than  any  thing  I  could  produce.  Murray's  Evidences 
appeared  to  me  popular  and  convincing  ;  but  I  have  since 
never  seen  a  copy." 

"  It  was  perhaps  an  advantage  to  me  that  my  collection 
of  books  was  small,  and  that  my  attention  was  devoted  to 
few  subjects.  On  a  copy  of  the  British  Encyclopedia  I  seized 
with  much  avidity,  and  thus  learned  something  about  the 
progress  of  the  Sciences.  My  thirst  for  knowledge  was  always 
great,  and  its  pursuit  was  never  a  weariness  to  me."  It 
is  not  improper  to  add,  that  throughout  his  whole  life  he 

12 


178  THE    ALLENS. 

retained  a  lively  interest  in  mathematical  and  physical  in- 
vestigation ;  delighting  in  the  severe  methods  of  the  old 
geometry,  and  keeping  himself  acquainted  with  the  course 
of  discovery  to  an  extent  which  was  surprising  to  all  around 
him. 

As  these  pages,  if  read  at  all,  will  be  read  by  persons 
living  in  the  very  region  where  the  scenes  here  described  are 
laid,  we  have  thought  it  expedient  to  introduce  notices  of 
families  and  individuals  who  were  active  in  the  promotion 
of  religion,  and  who  "  addicted  themselves  unto  the  ministry 
of  the  saints."  Among  other  good  results  it  will  serve  to 
show  how  extensively  the  blessings  of  grace  continued  to 
descend  in  the  lineage  of  the  righteous.  The  large  and 
Christian  connection  of  the  Venables  has  been  already  men- 
tioned. To  these  we  must  now  add  the  Aliens.  They  lived 
chiefly  in  Cumberland,  but  also  in  Prince  Edward,  and  many 
of  them  were  parishioners  of  Mr.  Alexander.  The  root  from 
which  they  all  proceeded  was  (like  various  eminent  persons 
named  in  our  memoir)  a  member  of  Mr.  Davies's  church  in 
Hanover,  and  was  converted,  it  is  thought,  under  the  mis- 
sionary labours  of  Whitefield.  Mr.  Alexander  heard  from 
an  eye-witness  that  W'hile  Whitefield  was  preaching,  Mr. 
Allen  fell  at  full  length,  as  suddenly  as  if  shot  through  the 
heart,  and  lay  for  the  remainder  of  the  evening  as  one  dead. 
He  had  four  sons.  "  James,  the  eldest,"  says  the  manuscript, 
"  was  one  of  the  most  venerable  men  I  ever  saw.  When  I 
came  to  the  country  he  was  above  seventy  years  of  age,  and 
lived  alone.  He  was  more  than  six  feet  in  height,  slender 
and  pale,  but  of  benignant  countenance,  and  with  hair  white 


THE    MORTONS.  179 

as  snow.  The  most  of  his  time  he  spent  over  a  large  family 
Bible,  which  lay  open  before  him  on  a  small  table,  and 
which  he  often  moistened  with  his  tears.  His  son,  also 
named  James,  was,  before  his  conversion,  irascible  in  the  ex- 
treme, and  often  engaged  in  broils,  being  of  great  muscular 
power.  On  one  occasion  he  came  home  in  a  rage,  threaten- 
ing to  flog  a  man  who  had  said  that  his  father  was  an  old 
hypocrite.  But  the  father  said  meekly,  '  Jemmy,  my  son, 
be  not  angry  about  it  ;  for  I  assure  you  it  is  the  very  thing 
I  have  been  suspecting  of  myself  for  twenty  years.'  Besides 
James,  he  had  two  sons,  Benjamin  and  Charles,  who  were 
elders  in  the  Cumberland  church,  while  I  was  minister  there, 
as  was  also  their  uncle  Benjamin  Allen.  His  brother  Daniel 
was  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Cary  Allen.  James  Allen,  the 
younger,  died  by  the  slow  torture  of  a  cancer,  which  began 
in  the  middle  of  the  lower  lip.  But  though  naturally 'a 
man  of  strong  passions  and  unquiet  temper,  he  was  now  as 
patient  as  a  lamb,  and  edified  all  who  came  to  see  him  by 
his  heavenly  conversation." 

The  particulars  which  he  gives  of  the  Morton  family 
afford  gHmpses  of  a  state  of  society  now  existing  only  on  the 
frontiers.  The  founder  of  this  family,  called  Little  Joe,  to 
distinguish  him  from  another  of  the  same  name,  was  a  bold 
and  enterprising  pioneer,  a  staunch  hunter,  and  employed 
by  the  Randolphs  and  others  in  exploring  the  country  not 
yet  inhabited,  in  order  that  they  might  lay  their  warrants 
on  the  good  lands  and  have  them  surveyed.  "  I  believe  that 
all  the  fine  lands  on  Staunton  River  were  first  discovered  by 
him."      He   was    skilful    in   catching   wild    horses,    which 


180  JOSEPH    MORTON. 

abounded  in  the  unsettled  parts  of  the  country.  They  wen 
commonly  taken  in  pens,  into  which  they  were  decoyed  ;  and 
several  streams  in  that  region  have  hence  derived  the  name 
of  Horsepen. 

Joseph  Morton,  with  a  young  wife,  built  a  log  cabin  near 
Little  Koanoke  Bridge.  Mrs.  Morton,  when  an  aged  widow, 
informed  Mr.  Alexander  that  for  several  years  she  had  not  a 
neighbour  nearer  than  thirty  miles,  and  that  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  her  husband  was  absent,  and  she 
and  her  young  children  were  alone  in  the  forest.  Such  was 
Morton's  knowledge  of  woodcraft,  that  he  could  pursue  a 
horse  for  any  distance  by  means  of  his  tracks,  and  this  even 
if  the  road  was  crossed  by  thousands  of  other  tracks.  On 
one  occasion  he  was  sent  for  to  follow  a  horse- thief,  which  he 
did  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  and  with  success, 
although  the  fugitive  had  taken  all  imaginable  means  of 
concealing  his  course.  This  account  was  given  by  his  son, 
Col.  William  Morton,  a  man  of  undoubted  veracity.  Joseph 
Morton  left  his  sons  possessed  of  good  estates. 

"  His  character  was  remarkable  in  several  respects.  He 
possessed  a  most  unshaken  firmness,  and  rigidly  adhered  to 
what  appeared  to  him  to  be  duty.  He  was  brought  up  an 
Episcopalian ;  but  the  Rev.  Mr.  Davies,  in  one  of  his 
preaching  tours,  was  taken  to  his  house  by  John  Morton,  a 
young  cousin.  Being  a  rigid  Churchman  he  was  reluctant 
to  consent,  but  after  some  consultation  with  his  wife,  he 
agreed  that  the  newlight  preacher  should  come.  Mr.  Davies, 
by  the  dignity  and  suavity  of  his  manners,  made  such  an 
impression  on  both,  that  when  he  departed  they  accompanied 


JOSEPH    MORTOiN.  181 

him  to  Cumberland,  to  the  administration  of  the  sacrament. 
His  wife  had  become  deeply  concerned  from  the  first  evening, 
and  was  anxious  about  partaking  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  But 
she  was  afraid  her  husband  would  not  agree  to  it.  She  how- 
ever broke  the  matter  to  him  on  Sunday  morning.  Though 
surprised,  he  told  her  to  do  as  she  thought  proper.  In  the 
intermission  after  the  ^action  sermon,'  he  called  out  Mr. 
Davies,  and  told  him  he  wished  to  join  in  communion  with 
the  church.  Mr.  Davies,  after  a  little  conversation,  gave 
him  a  token  of  admission,  and  the  husband  and  wife  went 
together  to  the  Lord's  Table.  From  this  pair  sprang  a  large 
Presbyterian  population,  spread  far  and  wide  through  Prince 
Edward  and  Charlotte  counties.  Not  long  after,  he  and  a 
number  of  others  united  in  building  a  house  of  worship  at 
Briery  ;  and  in  a  short  time  they  obtained  one  half  the 
labours  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Henry.  When  there  was  np 
sermon,  Mr.  Morton  regularly  attended,  read  a  discourse,  and 
catechised  the  children.  So  consistent  was  his  character, 
and  so  beneficial  his  influence,  that  he  was  a  blessing  to  the 
whole  community  in  which  he  lived.  As  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  he  exerted  a  salutary  influence  in  suppressing  pro- 
faneness  and  other  immorality.  Being  visited  by  one  of  his 
wealthy  correspondents  from  below,  who  was  exceedingly 
profane,  Morton  gave  him  warning,  that  as  a  magistrate  he 
was  bound  to  put  into  execution  the  law  against  swearing. 
The  other  disregarded  his  threats,  and  was  fined  accordingly. 
I  never  saw  him,  but  I  have  been  in  no  neighbourhood  where 
any  man  had  left  on  the  minds  of  all  a  stronger  impression 
of  his  integrity  and  piety.     Mrs.  Morton  lived  to  the  age  of 


182  CHARLOTTE   COUNTY. 

ninety-two,  and  died  some  time  after  I  was  settled  in  Char, 
lotte  She  was  a  very  pious  woman,  whose  house  was  alwayf. 
open  for  ministers  and  religious  people,  and  for  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel/' ■••'•■ 

From  John  Morton,  named  above  as  the  guide  of  Mr. 
Davies,  also  a  numerous  progeny  descended.  Of  his  sons, 
one  of  the  same  name  spent  his  life  chiefly  in  France.  The 
eldest,  Maj.  James  Morton,  was  a  revolutionary  officer,  and 
long  an  active  elder  in  the  church  at  Prince  Edward.  The 
Kev.  Dr.  John  H.  Kice  married  his  daughter,  a  lady  of 
known  Christian  excellence,  who  still  survives. 

The  County  of  Charlotte,  where  Mr.  Alexander  now 
laboured,  is  remarkable  for  having  been  the  residence  of  two 
very  celebrated  orators,  belonging  to  two  successive  periods  in 
our  national  history ;  we  mean  Patrick  Henry  and  John 
Kandolph  of  Koanoke.  During  Mr.  Alexander's  earliest 
visit,  he  was  invited  to  accompany  his  preceptor,  Mr, 
Graham,  in  a  visit  to  Mr.  Henry,  who  then  lived  in  Prince 
Edward,  seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  college  ;  but  the 
plan  was  disappointed  by  the  straying  of  the  horses.  Mr. 
Graham  went  alone,  and  spent  a  day  with  the  old  patriot, 
to  his  own  great  satisfaction  ;  for  they  were  of  one  mind 
in  politics,  both  being  exceedingly  opposed  to  the  Con- 
stitution which  had  that  year  been  adopted.     At  a  later 

*  Josiah,  the  oldest  son,  was  the  father  of  Col.  William  Lewis  Morton. 
William,  the  second  son,  was  for  many  years  presiding  judge  of  the  county 
court  of  Charlotte.  The  third  was  oddly  enough  named  Little  Joe.  The 
fourth  was  Col.  Jacob  Morton.  Three  of  these  were  ruling  elders  in  the 
Brierj'  church. 


PATRICK    HENRY.  183 

period,  however,  he  was  brought  into  nearer  acquaintance 
with  Henry's  powers.  The  account  of  this  in  his  own  words, 
as  pubHshed  in  1850,  we  can  by  no  means  omit. 

'^  From  my  earliest  childhood  I  had  been  accustomed  to 
hear  of  the  eloquence  of  Patrick  Henry.  On  this  subject 
there  existed  but  one  opinion  in  the  country.  The  power  of 
his  eloquence  was  felt  equally  by  the  learned  and-  the  un- 
learned. No  man  who  ever  heard  him  speak,  on  any  import- 
ant occasion,  could  fail  to  admit  his  uncommon  power  over 
the  minds  of  his  hearers.  The  occasions  on  which  he  made 
his  greatest  efibrts  have  been  recorded  by  Mr.  Wirt,  in  his 
Life  of  Henry.  What  I  propose  in  this  brief  article  is  to 
mention  only  what  I  observed  myself  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury ago. 

"  Being  then  a  young  man,  just  entering  on  a  profession 
in  which  good  speaking  was  very  important,  it  was  natural 
for  me  to  observe  the  oratory  of  celebrated  men.  I  was  anx- 
ious to  ascertain  the  true  secret  of  their  power ;  or  what  it 
was  which  enabled  them  to  sway  the  minds  of  hearers, 
almost  at  their  will. 

"  In  executing  a  mission  from  the  Synod  of  Virginia,  in 
the  year  1794,  I  had  to  pass  through  the  county  of  Prince 
Edward,  where  Mr.  Henry  then  resided.  Understanding 
that  he  was  to  appear  before  the  Circuit  Court,  which  met 
in  that  county,  in  defence  of  three  men  charged  with 
murder,  I  determined  to  seize  the  opportunity  of  observing 
for  myself  the  eloquence  of  this  extraordinary  orator. 

"  It  was  with  some  difficulty  I  obtained  a  seat  in  front  of 
the  bar,  where  I  could  have  a  full  view  of  the  speaker,  as 


184  PATRICK    HENRY. 

well  as  hear  him  distinctly.  But  I  had  to  submit  to  a 
severe  penance  in  gratifying  my  curiosity  ;  for  the  whole  day 
was  occupied  with  the  examination  of  witnesses,  in  which 
Mr.  Henry  was  aided  by  two  other  lawyers. 

"  In  person,  Mr.  Henry  was  lean  rather  than  fleshy.  He 
was  rather  above  than  below  the  common  height,  but  had  a 
stoop  in  the  shoulders  which  prevented  him  from  appearing 
as  tall  as  he  really  was.  In  his  moments  of  animation,  he 
had  the  habit  of  straightening  his  frame,  and  adding  to  his 
apparent  stature.  He  wore  a  brown  wig,  which  exhibited 
no  indication  of  any  great  care  in  the  dressing.  Over  his 
shoulders  he  wore  a  brown  camlet  cloak.  Under  this  his 
clothing  was  black,  something  the  worse  for  wear.  The 
ex})ression  of  his  countenance  was  that  of  solemnity  and 
deep  earnestness.  His  mind  appeared  to  be  always  absorbed 
in  what,  for  the  time,  occupied  his  attention.  His  forehead 
was  high  and  spacious,  and  the  skin  of  his  face  more  than 
usually  wrinkled  for  a  man  of  fifty.  His  eyes  were  small 
and  deeply  set  in  his  head',  but  were  of  a  bright  blue  colour, 
and  twinkled  much  in  their  sockets.  In  short,  Mr.  Henry's 
appearance  had  nothing  very  remarkable,  as  he  sat  at-  rest. 
You  might  readily  have  taken  him  for  a  common  planter, 
who  cared  very  little  about  his  personal  appearance.  In  his 
manners*  he  was  uniformly  respectful  and  courteous.  Can- 
dles were  brought  into  the  court  house,  when  the  examination 
of  the  witnesses  closed  ;  and  the  judges  put  it  to  the  option 
of  the  bar  whether  they  would  go  on  with  the  argument 
that  night  or  adjourn  until  the  next  day.  Paul  Carrington, 
jun.,  the  attorney  for  the  state,  a  man  of  large  size  and 


CAPITAL   CASE.  185 

uncommon  dignity  of  person  and  manner,  and  also  an 
accomplished  lawyer,  professed  his  willingness  to  proceed 
immediately,  while  the  testimony  was  fresh  in  the  minds  of 
all.  Now  for  the  first  time  I  heard  Mr.  Henry  make  any 
thing  of  a  speech  ;  and  though  it  was  short,  it  satisfied  me 
of  one  thing,  which  I  had  j)articularly  desired  to  have 
decided  ;  namely,  whether  like  a  player  he  merely  assumed 
the  appearance  of  feeling.  His  manner  of  addressing  the 
court  was  profoundly  respectful.  He  would  be  willing  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  trial,  but,  said  he,  ^  My  heart  is  so  oppressed 
with  the  weight  of  responsibility  which  rests  upon  me, 
having  the  lives  of  three  fellow  citizens  depending,  probably, 
on  the  exertions  which  I  may  be  able  to  make  in  their  behalf, 
(here  he  turned  to  the  prisoners  behind  him,)  that  I  do  not 
feel  able  to  proceed  to-night.  I  hope  the  court  will  indulge 
me,  and  postpone  the  trial  till  th^  morning.'  The  impres- 
sion made  by  these  few  words  was  such  as  I  assure  myself 
no  one  can  ever  conceive  by  seeing  them  in  print.  In  the 
countenance,  action  and  intonation  of  the  speaker,  there 
was  expressed  such  an  intensity  of  feeling  that  all  my 
doubts  were  dispelled  ;  never  again  did  I  question  whether 
Henry  felt,  or  only  acted  a  feeling.  Indeed,  I  experienced 
an  instantaneous  sympathy  wdth  him  in  the  emotions  which 
he  expressed  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  the  same  sympathy  was 
felt  by  every  hearer. 

"  As  a  matter  of  course  the  proceedings  were  deferred 
till  the  next  morning.  I  was  early  at  my  post  ;  the  judges 
were  soon  on  the  bench,  and  the  prisoners  at  the  bar.  Mr. 
Carrington,   afterwards   Judge    Oarrington,  opened  with   a 


186  PATRICK    HENRY. 

clear  and  dignified  speech,  and  presented  the  evidence  to  the 
jury.  Every  thing  seemed  perfectly  plain.  Two  brothers 
and  a  brother-in-law  met  two  other  persons  in  pursuit  of  a 
slave,  supposed  to  be  harboured  by  the  brothers.  After  some 
altercation  and  mutual  abuse,  one  of  the  brothers,  whose 
name  was  John  Ford,  raised  a  loaded  gun  which  he  was  car- 
rying, and  presenting  it  to  the  breast  of  one  of  the  other 
pair,  shot  him  dead,  in  open  day.  There  \vas  no  doubt  about 
the  fact.  Indeed,  it  was  not  denied.  There  had  been  no 
other  provocation  than  opprobrious  words.  It  is  presumed 
that  the  opinion  of  every  juror  was  made  up  from  merely 
hearing  the  testimony ;  as  Tom  Harvey,  the  principal  wit- 
ness, who  was  acting  as  constable  on  the  occasion,  appeared 
to  be  a  respectable  man.  For  the  clearer  understanding  of 
what  follows,  it  must  be  observed  that  said  constable,  in 
order  to  distinguish  him  from  another  of  the  name,  was 
commonly  called  '  Butterwood  Harvey  ; '  as  he  lived  on  But- 
terwood  Creek. 

"  Mr.  Henry,  it  is  believed,  understanding  that  the  people 
were  on  their  guard  against  his  faculty  of  moving  the  passions 
and  through  them  influencing  the  judgment,  did  not  resort 
to  the  pathetic,  as  much  as  was  his  usual  practice  in  criminal 
cases.  His  main  object  appeared  to  be,  throughout,  to  cast 
discredit  on  the  testimony  of  Tom  Harvey.  This  he  at- 
tempted by  causing  the  law  respecting  riots  to  be  read  by 
one  of  his  assistants.  It  appeared  in  evidence,  that  Tom 
Harvey  had  taken  upon  him  to  act  as  constable,  without 
being  in  commission  ;  and  that  with  a  posse  of  men  he  had 
entered  the  house  of  one  of  the  Fords  in  search  of  the  negro, 


CAPITAL   CASE.  187 

and  had  put  Mrs.  Ford,  in  her  husband's  absence,  into  Jt 
great  terror,  while  she  was  in  a  very  delicate  condition,  near 
the  time  of  her  confinement. 

"  As  he  descanted  on  the  evidence,  he  would  often  turn  to 
Tom  Harvey — a  large  bold-looking  man — and  with  the  most 
sarcastic  look  would  call  him  by  some  name  of  contempt ; 
'this  Butterwood  Tom  Harvey,'  'this  ivould-be-constaUe,' 
&c.  By  such  expressions,  his  contempt  for  the  man  was 
communicated  to  the  hearers.  I  own  I  felt  it  gaining  on 
me,  in  spite  of  my  better  judgment ;  so  that  before  he  was 
done,  the  impression  was  strong  on  my  mind  that  Butter- 
wood  Harvey  was  undeserving  of  the  smallest  credit.  This 
impression,  however,  I  found  I  could  counteract  the  moment 
I  had  time  for  reflection.  The  only  part  of  the  speech  in 
which  he  manifested  his  power  of  touching  the  feelings 
strongly,  was  where  he  dwelt  on  the  irruption  of  the  com- 
pany into  Ford's  house,  in  circumstances  so  perilous  to  the 
solitary  wife.  This  appeal  to  the  sensibility  of  husbands — 
and  he  knew  that  all  the  jury  stood  in  this  relation — was 
overwhelming.  If  the  verdict  could  have  been  rendered  im- 
mediately after  this  burst  of  the  pathetic,  every  man,  at 
least  every  husband  in  the  house,  would  have  been  for  re- 
jecting Harvey's  testimony ;  if  not  for  hanging  him  forth- 
with. It  was  fortunate  that  the  illusion  of  such  eloquence 
is  transient,  and  is  soon  dissipated  by  the  exercise  of  sober 
reason.  I  confess,  however,  that  nothing  which  I  then  heard 
so  convinced  me  of  the  advocate's  power,  as  the  speech  of  five 
minutes,  which  he  made  when  he  requested  that  the  trial 
might  be  adjourned  till  the  next  day. 


188  JOHN   RANDOLPH. 


^ 


"  In  addition  to  this,  it  so  happened  that  I  heard  the  last 
public  speech  which  Mr.  Henry  ever  made.  It  was  deliverea 
at  Charlotte,  from  the  portico  of  the  court-house,  to  an  as- 
sembly in  the  open  air.  In  the  American  edition  of  the 
New  Edinburgh  Encyclopedia  an  account  of  this  speech 
and  its  effects  is  given,  so  charged  with  exaggeration  as  to 
be  grossly  incorrect.  There  is  more  truth  in  the  statements 
contained  in  Mr.  Wirt's  memoir.  In  point  of  fact,  the  per- 
formance had  little  impression  beyond  the  transient  pleasure 
afforded  to  the  friends  of  the  administration,  and  the  pain 
inflicted  on  the  Anti-federalists,  his  former  political  friends. 
Mr.  Henry  came  to  the  place  with  difficulty,  and  was  plainly 
destitute  of  his  wonted  vigour  and  commanding  power.  The 
speech  was  nevertheless  a  noble  effort,  such  as  could  have 
proceeded  from  none  but  a  patriotic  heart.  In  the  course  of 
his  remarks,  Mr.  Henry  (as  is  correctly  stated  by  Mr.  Wirt) 
after  speaking  of  Washington  at  the  head  of  a  numerous  and 
well  appointed  army,  exclaimed,  '  And  where  is  the  citizen  of 
America  who  will  dare  to  lift  his  hand  against  the  father  of 
his  country,  to  point  a  weapon  at  the  breast  of  the  man  who 
had  so  often  led  them  to  battle  and  victory  ? '  An  intoxica- 
ted man  cried,  '  I  could.'  *  No,'  answered  Mr.  Henry,  rising 
aloft  in  all  his  majesty,  and  in  a  voice  most  solemn  and  pen- 
etrating, '  No  ;  you  durst  not  do  it ;  in  such  a  parricidal 
attempt,  the  steel  would  drop  from  your  nerveless  arm  ! ' 

"  Mr.  Henry  was  followed  by  a  speaker  afterwards  noted 
in"  our  national  history ;  I  mean  John  Randolph  of  Roanoke  ; 
but  the  aged  orator  did  not  remain  to  witness  the  debut  of 
his  young  opponent.     Randolph  began  by  saying  that  he  had 


HENRY    AND   RANDOLPH.  189 

admired  that  man  more  than  any  on  whom  the  sun  had  shone, 
but  that  now  he  was  constrained  to  differ  from  him  toto  coelo. 
But  Randolph  was  suffering  with  the  hoarseness  of  a  cold, 
and  could  scarcely  utter  an  audible  sentence.  All  that  is 
alleged  in  the  Encyclopedia,  about  Henry's  returning  to  the 
platform  and  replying  with  extraordinary  effect,  is  pure  fabri- 
cation. The  fact  is  as  above  stated.  Henry  retired  to  the 
house,  as  if  unwilling  to  listen,  and  requested  a  friend  to  re- 
port to  him  any  thing  which  might  require  an  answer.  But 
he  made  no  reply,  nor  did  he  again  present  himself  to  the 
people.  I  was  amidst  the  crowd,  standing  near  to  Creed 
Taylor,  then  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  afterwards  a  judge ; 
who  made  remarks  to  those  around  him,  during  the  speech, 
declaring  among  other  things  that  the  old  man  was  in  his 
dotage.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  a  statement  so 
untrue  should  be  perpetuated  in  a  work  of  such  value  and 
celebrity. ' 

"  Patrick  Henry  had  several  sisters,  with  one  of  whom, 
the  wife  of  Colonel  Meredith  of  New  Glasgow,  I  was  ac- 
quainted. Mrs.  Meredith  was  not  only  a  woman  of  unfeigned 
piety,  but  was  in  my  judgment  as  eloquent  as  her  brother  ; 
nor  have  I  ever  met  with  a  lady  who  equalled  her  in  powers 
of  conversation. 

"  At  an  early  period  of  my  ministry,  it  became  my  duty 
to  preach  the  funeral  sermon  of  Mr.  James  Hunt,  the  father 
of  the  late  Rev.  James  Hunt,  of  Montgomery  County,  Mary- 
land. The  death  occurred  at  the  house  of  a  son  who  lived 
on  Staunton  River :  Mr.  Henry's  residence,  Red  Hill,  was  a 
few  miles  distant,  on  the  same  river.     Having  been  long  a 


190  henry's  eloquence. 

friend  of  the  deceased,  Mr.  Henry  attended  the  funeral,  and 
remained  to  dine  with  the  company ;  on  which  occasion  1 
was  introduced  to  him  by  Captain  WilHam  Craighead,  who 
had  been  an  elder  in  President  Davies's  church.  These  gen- 
tlemen had  been  friende  in  Hanover,  but  had  not  met  for 
many  years.  The  two  old  gentlemen  met  with  great  cor- 
diality, and  seemed  to  have  high  enjoyment  in  talking  of  old 
times. 

"  On  the  retrospect  of  so  many  years  I  may  be  permitted 
to  express  my  views  of  the  extraordinary  effects  of  Henry's 
eloquence.  The  remark  is  obvious,  in  application  not  only 
to  him  but  to  all  great  orators,  that  we  cannot  ascribe  these 
effects  merely  to  their  intellectual  conceptions,  or  their  cogent 
reasonings,  however  great  :  these  conceptions  and  reasons, 
when  put  on  paper,  often  fall  dead.  They  are  often  inferior 
to  the  arguments  of  men  whose  utterances  have  little  impres- 
sion. It  has  indeed  been  often  said,  both  of  Whitefield  and 
of  Henry,  that  their  discourses,  when  reduced  to  writing, 
show  poorly  by  the  side  of  the  productions  of  men  who  are 
no  orators.  Let  me  illustrate  this,  by  the  testimony  of  one 
whom  I  remember  as  a  friend  of  my  youth.  General  Posey 
was  a  revolutionary  officer,  who  was  second  in  command,  un- 
der Wayne,  in  the  expedition  against  the  Indians  ;  a  man  of 
observation  and  cool  judgment.  He  was  in  attendance  on 
the  debates  of  that  famous  convention  in  which  there  were 
so  many  displays  of  deliberative  eloquence.  He  assured  me, 
that  after  the  hearing  of  Patrick  Henry's  most  celebrated 
speech  in  that  body,  he  felt  himself  as  fully  persuaded  that 
the  Constitution  if  adopted  would  be  our  ruin,  as  of  his  own 


henry's  eloquence.  191 

existence.     Yet    subsequent   reflection  restored   his  former 
judgment,  and  his  well  considered  opinion  resumed  its  place. 

"  The  power  of  Henry's  eloquence  was  due,  first,  to  the 
greatness  of  his  emotion  and  passion,  accompanied  with  a 
versatility  which  enabled  him  to  assume  at  once  any  emotion 
or  passion  which  was  suited  to  his  ends.  Not  less  indispen- 
sable, secondly,  was  a  matchless  perfection  of  the  organs  of 
expression,  including  the  entire  apparatus  of  voice,  intona- 
tion, pause,  gesture,  attitude,  and  indescribable  play  of  coun- 
tenance. In  no  instance  did  he  ever  indulge  in  an  expres- 
sion that  was  not  instantly  recognised  as  nature  itself ;  yet 
some  of  his  penetrating  and  subduing  tones  were  absolutely 
peculiar,  and  as  inimitable  as  they  were  indescribable.  These 
were  felt  by  every  hearer,  in  all  their  force.  His  mightiest 
feelings  were  sometimes  indicated  and  communicated  by  a 
long  pause,  aided  by  an  eloquent  aspect,  and  some  signifi- 
cant use  of  his  finger.  The  sympathy  between  mind  and 
mind  is  inexplicable.  Where  the  channels  of  communication 
are  open,  the  faculty  of  revealing  inward  passion  great,  and 
the  expression  of  it  sudden  and  visible,  the  effects  are  ex- 
traordinary. Let  these  shocks  of  influence  be  repeated 
again  and  again,  and  all  other  opinions  and  ideas  are  for  the 
moment  absorbed  or  excluded  ;  the  whole  mind  is  brought 
into  unison  with  that  of  the  speaker  ;  and  the  spell-bound 
listener,  till  the  cause  ceases,  is  under  an  entire  fascination. 
Then  perhaps  the  charm  ceases,  upon  reflection,  and  the 
infatuated  hearer  resumes  his  ordinary  state. 

"  Patrick  Henry  of  course  owed  much  to  his  singular  in- 
sight into  the  feelings  of  the  common  mind.     In  great  cases, 


192  PATRICK    HENRY. 

he  scanned  his  jury,  and  formed  his  mental  estimate  ;  on  this 
basis  he  founded  his  appeals  to  their  predilections  and  char- 
acter. It  is  what  other  advocates  do,  in  a  lesser  degree. 
When  he  knew  that  there  were  conscientious  or  religious 
men  among  the  jury,  he  would  most  solemnly  address  him- 
self to  their  sense  of  right,  and  would  adroitly  bring  in  Scrip  • 
tural  citations.  If  this  handle  was  not  offered,  he  would  lay 
bare  the  sensibility  of  patriotism.  Thus  it  was,  when  he 
succeeded  in  rescuing  the  man  who  had  deliberately  shot 
down  a  neighbour ;  who  moreover  lay  under  the  odious  sus- 
picion of  being  a  tory,  and  who  was  proved  to  have  refused 
supplies  to  a  brigade  of  the  American  army. 

"  A  learned  and  intelligent  gentleman  stated  to  me  that 
he  once  heard  Mr.  Henry's  defence  of  a  man  arraigned  for  a 
capital  crime.  So  clear  and  abundant  was  the  evidence,  that 
my  informant  was  unable  to  conceive  any  grounds  of  defence, 
especially  after  the  law  had  been  ably  placed  before  the  jury 
by  the  attorney  for  the  commonwealth.  For  a  long  time 
after  Henry  began,  he  never  once  adverted  to  the  merits  of 
the  case  or  the  arguments  of  the  prosecution,  but  went  off 
into  a  most  captivating  and  discursive  oration  on  general 
topics,  expressing  opinions  in  perfect  accordance  with  those 
of  his  hearers  ;  until  having  fully  succeeded  in  obliterating 
every  impression  of  his  opponent's  speech,  he  obliquely 
approached  the  subject,  and  as  occasion  was  offered  dealt 
forth  strokes  which  seemed  to  tell  upon  the  minds  of  the 
jury.  In  this  case,  it  should  be  added,  the  force  of  truth 
prevailed  over  the  art  of  the  consummate  orator."* 

*  Princeton  Magazine,  1860. 


HAMPDEN    SIDNEY.  193 

From  manuscript  authorities  we  add  a  few  traits.  At 
first  sight  Mr.  Henry's  appearance  struck  him  as  being  not 
unHke  that  of  an  old  clergyman.  There  was  a  peculiar 
earnestness  in  all  that  he  said,  and  his  small  gray  eyes 
seemed  to  be  in  perpetual  motion.  "  The  only  time,"  says 
he,  "  that  I  ever  was  in  Mr.  Henry's  company,  was  a  few 
months  before  his  decease,  when  I  was  sent  for  to  preach  at 
the  funeral  of  old  Mr.  James  Hunt,  the  father  of  the  Rev. 
James  Hunt.  This  man  had  been  brought  up  in  the  same 
neighbourhood  with  Mr.  Henry,  and  resided  near  him  during 
his  last  years.  Old  Captain  Craighead  had  late  in  life  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  Mr.  Hunt,  and  it  was  he  who  introduced 
me.  I  had,  however,  little  conversation  with  him.  After  the 
sermon  he  asked  Capt.  Craighead  what  we  meant  by  talking 
feo  much  about  grace,  and  added  that  he  did  not  understand 
it.  He  was,  however,  a  firm  believer  in  Divine  Revelation, 
and  spent  much  of  his  time  during  his  retirement  in  reading 
the  works  of  such  authors  as  Sherlock  and  Tillotson  ;  and  he 
warmly  recommended  religion  to  those  young  friends  who 
came  to  see  him."  Some  years  ago  we  obtained  from  the 
Clerk's  Office  of  Charlotte  County  a  certified  copy  of  an 
extract  from  his  last  will  and  testament,  which  is  in  these 
remarkable  words  :  "  This  is  all  the  inheritance  I  can  give 
to  my  dear  family.  The  Religion  of  Christ  can  give  them 
one  which  will  make  them  rich  indeed." 

The  College  of  Hampden  Sidney  derived  its  name  from 
two  great  English  patriots.  It  was  founded  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  up  an  evangelical  ministry.  As  early  as  1771,  in 
consequence  of  representations  made  by  Mr.  Samuel  Stan- 


194  HAMPDEN    SIDNEY. 

hope  Smith,  afterwards  President  Smith,  of  New  Jersey, 
the  Presbj^tery  of  Hanover  began  to  consider  the  subject  of 
education.  The  first  attempts  were  humble,  and  did  not 
contemplate  any  thing  so  elevated  as  a  college.  One  or  two 
schools,  under  presbyterial  direction,  were  during  the  follow- 
ing years  taught  in  different  places,  till  at  length  in  1773 
it  was  determined  to  open  a  seminary  in  the  county  of 
Prince  Edward.  Mr.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith  was  appointed 
the  rector,  and  became  at  the  same  time  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregations of  Prince  Edward  and  Cumberland.  Land  was 
given  and  moneys  were  raised  for  books  and  apparatus. 
The  revolutionary  troubles  greatly  impeded,  but  did  not 
utterly  hinder  the  progress  of  the  institution.  In  1776,  Mr. 
John  Blair  Smith,  so  often  mentioned  in  this  narrative,  be- 
came the  assistant  of  his  brother,  and  there  were  other  in- 
stnictors.  After  some  time  Mr.  John  B.  Smith  became 
principal  of  the  seminary,  as  well  as  pastor  of  the  churches 
of  Cumberland  and  Briery.  Mr.  Smith  was  chosen  captain 
of  a  company  of  the  students,  about  sixty-five  in  number, 
and  Mr.  David  Witherspoon,  his  assistant,  was  first  lieuten- 
ant. The  charter  of  Hampden  Sidney  as  a  College  was  ob- 
tained in  1783,  and  its  first  literary  degrees  were  conferred 
in  1786.  In  1788,  on  the  retirement  of  President  Smith 
from  the  active  duties  of  the  college,  the  Kev.  Drury  Lacy 
was  made  Vice  President.  In  September,  1789,  Mr.  Smith 
resigned  his  presidentship,  and  for  several  years  efforts  were 
made,  without  success,  to  obtain  the  services  of  the  Kev. 
William  Graham.  "  The  attention  of  the  Board" — we  here 
quote  from  Dr.  Foote — "  was  then  turned  to  the  Rev.  Ar- 


JOUN    H.    RICE  195 

chibald  Alexander,  a  member  of  Lexington  Presbytery, 
recently  licensed  to  preach  the  gospe],  a  pupil  of  Mr.  Gra- 
hard.  He  was  invited  to  unite  with  Mr.  Lacy  in  the  gov- 
erament  and  instruction  of  the  College,  with  equal  authority 
and  emolument.'' 

We  are  happily  able  to  give  Mr.  Alexander's  own  state- 
ment with  regard  to  this  important  step  in  his  life.  ^'  In 
this  retirement/'  says  he,  "  I  spent  a  few  years,  when  the 
Trustees  of  Hampden  Sidney  elected  me  to  the  office  of 
President.  The  condition  of  the  college  was  as  low  as  it 
could  be  to  have  an  existence.  Mr.  Lacy  set  up  a  school  in 
the  vicinity,  which  was  attended  by  most  of  the  youth  who 
had  been  at  the  college.  But  the  Trustees  were  determined 
to  resuscitate  it  if  possible.  At  first  I  was  very  averse  to  an 
undertaking  of  so  little  promise.  But  at  length  I  was  per- 
suaded to  make  the  trial  ;  and  the  consideration  had  much 
weight  with  me,  that  if  I  did  not  succeed,  I  should  leave 
matters  no  worse  than  they  were,  but  that  if  I  had  success, 
I  might  be  doing  some  public  good.  I  accordingly  consented 
in  the  autumn  to  go  to  the  college  in  the  following  spring  ; 
and  immediately  applied  myself  to  the  studies  connected 
with  my  office. 

"  John  H.  Rice,  then  about  the  age  of  twenty,  had  been 
engaged  in  teaching  below  Richmond,  and  not  being  satis- 
fied to  remain  there,  was  employed  by  the  Trustees  of  the 
College  to  take  charge  of  the  few  students  who  were  prepar- 
ing for  entrance.  During  the  winter  I  visited  him  fre- 
quently, and  conversed  with  him  respecting  the  enterprise. 
I  soon  found  that  he  was  no  common  man.     His  appetite 


196  CONRAD   SPEECE. 

4,  for  books  was  rabid.  Havinoj  access  now  to  the  college 
library,  which,  though  small,  contained  some  well  selected 
works,  he  was  like  a  hungry  ox  when  let  into  a  rich  pasture. 
Before  he  had  half  finished  one  volume,  he  would  be  forcibly 
drawn  to  another,  and  thus  he  roamed  from  book  to  book, 
•  and  from  shelf  to  shelf.  I  found  him  also  to  be  fond  of  com- 
position. He  read  to  me  many  of  his  pieces,  most  of  which 
were  seasoned  with  no  little  sarcasm.  He  had  a  peculiar 
disposition  to  satirize  the  fashions  of  the  times,  without  any 
thought  of  publication  ;  but  it  was  customary  with  him  to 
give  his  essays  to  the  students  to  be  pronounced  as  ora- 
tions." 

It  is  scarcely  needful  to  add,  that  the  person  here  named 
is  the  same  who  in  later  years,  as  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rice,  filled 
so  large  a  space  in  public  observation,  as  a  preacher,  an 
author,  a  controvertist,  and  a  theological  professor.  During 
all  his  life  he  was  one  of  the  most  intimate  and  cherished 
friends  of  Dr.  Alexander. 

The  name  of  Rice  suggests  that  of  Speece,  another  orna- 
ment of  the  Virginian  church,  and  likewise  closely  allied  to 
the  subject  of  these  memoirs.  Conrad  Speece  w^as  the  son 
of  a  German  who  lived  in  Campbell  County,  some  miles  east 
of  New  London.  The  grandmother  of  Conrad,  living  at  this 
town,  used  to  receive  frequent  visits  from  the  boy,  w^hose 
education  had  been  neglected,  but  who  had  a  turn  for  music, 
so  as  to  play  on  several  instruments.  On  one  occasion  the 
boy  composed  a  humorous  description  of  some  Christmas 
sports  which  had  taken  place  at  the  village  tavern.  The 
verses  were  shown  to  a  number  of  persons  and  were  thought 


CONRAD    SPEECE.  197 

extraordinary  for  a  boy  of  thirteen.  At  that  time  Mr.  Ed- 
ward Graham,  afterwards  the  brother-in-law  of  Dr.  Alex- 
ander, taught  a  school  in  New  London.  By  his  encourage- 
ment young  Speece  turned  his  attention  to  regular  study. 
He  was  large  for  his  age,  and  had  a  rough  and  uncultivated 
appearance.  But  he  learned  readily  whatever  was  assigned 
to  him.  He  did  not,  however,  commit  the  Latin  Grammar 
to  memory  as  speedily  as  another  boy  in  the  school ;  but  as 
soon  as  he  began  to  read,  and  to  apply  the  rules  to  the 
structure  of  language,  he  seemed  to  have  awaked  to  a  new 
sense,  and  began  to  study  with  extraordinary  delight.  He 
soon  finished  the  first  book,  leaving  all  his  classmates  far 
behind.  Eising  to  a  higher  class  he  distanced  them  in  like 
manner,  until  at  the  year's  close  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
school,  and  was  able  to  translate  Cicero  and  Horace  with 
more  than  common  accuracy  and  even  elegance.  Nothing 
could  now  cool  his  ardour  of  desire  for  a  liberal  education. 
After  struggling  through  many  difficulties  he  at  length  real- 
ized his  hopes  and  entered  Washington  College  in  Lexing- 
ton, where  he  took  his  degrees  with  high  distinction,  and 
became  one  of  its  tutors. 

"I  first  knew  him,"  says  Dr.  Alexander,  "when  on  a 
visit  to  my  friends.  On  leaving  college  he  returned  home 
and  began  to  read  law,  but  his  health  seemed  so  much  im- 
paired that  for  a  while  he  gave  up  study  and  travelled  on 
foot  to  the  Sweet  Springs,  where  he  spent  the  usual  season 
of  attendance,  bathing  and  drinking  the  waters.  Another 
teacher  being  needed  at  Hampden  Sidney,  I  turned  my  at- 
tention to  Speece,  who  had  now  returned  home,  whither  I 


198  PORTRAIT    BY    RICE. 

went  to  seek  him  out.  I  found  the  dwelling  of  his  father  in 
a  rough  country,  at  a  romantic  and  sequestered  spot.  Conrad 
was  at  home,  in  coarse  farmer's  dress,  and  seemed  pleased 
with  the  idea  of  spending  his  life  in  husbandry.  But  after 
deliberating  upon  my  proposals,  he  agreed  to  come  to  us  at 
the  commencement  of  the  next  session.  He  came  accord- 
ingly, and  he,  John  H.  Kice,  and  I,  performed  the  duty  of 
professors  without  the  title." 

The  intimacy  of  these  three  young  men  was  so  close  and 
affectionate,  that  we  seize  with  avidity  on  any  estimate 
which  any  one  of  them  formed  of  the  others  ;  and  we  there- 
fore introduce  here,  by  a  little  anticipation,  some  remarks  of 
Dr.  Rice,  in  which  he  sketches  his  two  associates.  "  The 
eldest  of  them''  (whom  he  calls  Paulinus,  but  who  is  evi- 
dently Mr.  Alexander,)  "  had  been  a  preacher  ten  or  fifteen 
years,  is  endowed  with  faculties  of  the  highest  kind,  and  has 
cultivated  them  with  great  assiduity.  No  man  of  his  age 
has  greater  extent  or  variety  of  information.  His  powers  are 
peculiarly  fitted  for  the  investigation  of  truth.  With  a  sound 
judgment,  a  vigorous  understanding,  a  quick  perception,  a 
great  compass  of  thought,  he  has  the  capacity  of  holding  his 
mind  in  suspense,  until  a  subject  be  viewed  in  all  its  bearings 
and  relations,  and  until  the  rays  of  evidence,  however  widely 
they  are  dissipated,  are  all  brought  to  a  focus  on  the  point 
under  investigation.  Possessing  such  intellectual  powers  as 
these,  he  is  animated  with  a  love  of  truth,  and  thirst  after 
knowledge,  which  ])rompt  to  unwearied  diligence  in  re- 
search, and  unremitting  application  to  study.  His  know- 
ledge, then,  must  be  considerable.     His  taste  is  refined,  liia 


PORTRAIT    BY   RICE.  199 

imagination  rich  in  imagery,  his  elocution  copious,  and  his 
trains  of  reasoning  are  close  and  logical ;  his  eye  sparkles 
with  intelligence,  and  his  voice  is  as  melodious  as  the  notes 
of  the  nightingale.  But  in  addition  to  all  these  excellencies, 
he  is  remarkably  modest ;  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  be  in 
his  company  without  seeing  his  superiority,  and  yet  such  is 
his  modesty,  that  it  gives  you  no  pain  to  acknowledge  it." 

"  The  second  "  (Philander,  or  Mr.  Speece,)  "  is  a  younger 
man  and  a  younger  minister.  He  also  possesses  real  genius. 
The  most  remarkable  quality  of  his  mind  is  vigour ;  in  argu- 
mentation he  resembles  one  of  the  Ajaxes  of  Homer,  with 
his  mace  of  iron,  at  every  vibration  overthrowing  whole 
troops  of  Trojans.  His  conception  is  very  clear;  and  of 
course  he  is  perspicuous,  precise  and  fluent  in  elocution. 
From  the  comparison  just  used,  however,  it  is  not  to  be  sup- 
posed that  there  is  any  thing  of  coarseness  in  his  mind. 
Far  from  it.  His  imagination  is  delicate,  and  his  taste  re- 
fined." He  adds,  "  The  piety  of  both  these  gentlemen  is 
warm  and  unaffected.  They  have  hearts  formed  for  friend- 
ship. Possessing  the  highest  talents,  and  the  best  means  of 
information  that  Virginia  could  afford,  they  would  have  been 
capable  of  filling  any  office,  and  might  have  risen  to  the 
first  eminence  in  the  State.  But  such  was  their  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  Christ,  that  they  left  all  and  followed  him."  * 

To  return  to  our  narrative  ;  when  Mr.  Alexander  went 
to  the  college  he  resigned  his  more  distant  charge,  and  divided 
his  preaching  between  the  congregations  of  Briery  and  Prince 

*  Virginia  Religious  Magazine,  Vol.  iii.  pp.  170,  171.     Maxwell's  Life  of 
Rice,  pp.  39,  40. 


200  EMPLOYMENT    OF    TIME. 

Edward.  His  friends  in  Charlotte,  and  especially  Mrs.  Read 
were  much  opposed  to  his  removal.  On  going  to  Hampden 
Sidney  he  had  possession  of  the  president's  house,  but  usually 
took  his  meals  at  the  common  table.  At  no  time  of  his  life 
did  he  feel  more  keenly  the  stimulus  to  application,  and  he 
declared  in  later  years  that  whatever  accuracy  he  possessed 
in  classical  and  scientific  knowledge  was  acquired  during  such 
periods,  under  the  spur  of  necessity.  He  began  by  insisting 
on  the  utmost  exactness,  and  took  pleasure  in  drilling  the 
young  men  in  those  rudiments  which  they  had  neglected. 
The  number  increased  rapidly,  but  there  were  as  yet  no 
regular  classes,  and  very  few  took  a  complete  course.  Yet 
all  the  branches  then  common  in  colleges  were  taught,  and 
some  of  them  thoroughly ;  the  studies  being  arranged  in 
some  degree  after  the  method  then  prevalent  at  Princeton. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  of  that  very  interesting  period 
of  his  life,  we  have  but  slender  memorials  from  his  own  pen. 
He  was  earnestly  engaged,  even  beyond  his  strength,  in  accu- 
mulating and  systematizing  stores  of  knowledge  ;  and  in 
conscientiously  endeavouring  to  lift  up  an  institution  wdiich 
had  sunk  almost  to  the  Iwvest  point.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  laborious  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  not  only  to  his  two 
congregations,  but,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country, 
in  many  places  on  every  side.  To  this  part  of  his  duties  he 
always  recurred  with  most  pleasure  in  the  memory  of  later 
years.  Though  he  had  under  his  care  many  promising  and 
interesting  pupils,  some  of  whom  live  to  remember  his  kind 
instructions,  he  never  felt  himself  completely  at  home  at  the 
head  of  a  college.     There  was,  however,  much  solace  in  the 


SCRUPLES  ABOUT   BAPTISM.  201 

cordial  intimacies  of  a  cultivated  and  Christian  people,  who 
have  been  and  still  are  noted,  even  among  Virginians,  for 
the  warmth  of  their  attachments  and  the  largeness  of  their 
hospitality.  These  years,  spent  amidst  many  anxieties, 
were,  nevertheless,  profitable  in  no  common  degree,  in 
the  corroboratim  of  principles,  and  the  moulding  of  char- 
acter. 

The  history  of  any  human  mind  is  incomplete  unless  it 
affords  us  some  knowledge  of  inward  struggles  in  regard  to 
the  acquisition  of  truth  and  the  performance  of  duty.  One 
of  these  crises  occurred  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Alexander,  while 
he  was  president  of  the  college  ;  and  we  must  interrupt  the 
regular  narrative,  to  give  some  account  of  his  difficulties 
respecting  Baptism.  His  own  record  of  this  is  so  extensive 
that  it  might  even  form  a  separate  publication.  For  our 
present  purposes  we  must  endeavour  to  afford  an  honest 
representation  of  the  whole,  in  the  way  partly  of  abridgment 
and  partly  of  extract. 

"  About  this  time,''  says  he,  probably  indicating  some 
part  of  the  years  1797,  1798,  or  1799,  ^'I  fell  into  doubt 
respecting  the  authority  of  infant  baptism.  The  origin  of 
these  doubts  was  in  too  rigid  notions  as  to  the  purity  of  the 
church,  with  a  belief  that  receiving  infants  had  a  corrupting 
tendency.  I  communicated  my  doubts  very  freely  to  my 
friend  Mr.  Lyle,  and  to  Mr.  Speece,  and  found  that  they  had 
both  been  troubled  by  the  same.  We  talked  much  privately 
on  the  subject,  and  often  conversed  with  others  in  hope  of 
getting  some  new  light.  At  length  Mr.  Lyle  and  I  deter- 
mined to  give  up  the  practice  of  baptizing  infants,  until  we 


202  8CRUPLES    ABOUT    BAPTISM. 

should  receive  more  light.  This  determination  we  publicly 
communicated  to  our  people,  and  left  them  to  take  such 
measures  as  they  deemed  expedient ;  but  they  seemed  will- 
ing to  aw^ait  the  issue.  We  also  communicated  to  the 
Presbytery  the  state  of  our  minds,  and  left  them  to  do  what 
seemed  good  in  the  case  ;  but  as  they  believed  that  we  were . 
sincerely  desirous  of  arriving  at  the  truth,  they  took  no 
steps,  and  I  believe  made  no  record. 

"  Things  remained  in  this  posture  for  more  than  a  year. 
During  this  time  I  read  much  on  both  sides,  and  carried  on 
a  lengthened  correspondence,  particularly  with  Dr.  Hoge. 
Two  considerations  kept  me  back  from  joining  the  Baptists. 
The  first  was  that  the  universal  prevalence  of  infant  bap- 
tism, as  early  as  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  was  unac- 
countable on  the  supposition  that  no  such  practice  existed 
in  the  times  of  the  apostles.  The  other  was,  that  if  the 
Baptists  are  right,  they  are  the  only  Christian  church  on 
earth,  and  all  other  denominations  are  out  of  the  visible 
church.  Besides,  I  could  not  see  how  they  could  ever  obtain 
a  valid  baptism." 

Mr.  Speece  was,  however,  more  precipitate,  and  having 
concluded  that  the  Antipedobaptists  were  right,  strongly 
urged  his  friends  to  join  him  in  going  over.  They  endea- 
voured to  retard  his  progress,  but  his  mind  was  naturally  in- 
clined to  peremptory  conclusions,  and  impatient  of  dubiety. 
One  Sunday  morning,  therefore,  he  went  to  a  Baptist  meet- 
ing, held  within  two  miles  of  the  college,  and  without  having 
gi\en  notice  of  his  intention,  was  there  re-baptizod  by  im- 
mersion.    On  his  return  he  seemed  much  satisfied  with  what 


IMMERSION   OF    SPEECH  203 

he  had  done.  The  church  soon  licensed  him  to  preach,  and 
he  began  to  go  about  the  country  with  his  Baptist  brethren. 
"He  attended  an  Association  in  Cumberland,  where  he 
preached ;  some  of  the  ministers  informed  him  that  he 
aimed  well,  but  that  if  he  would  do  execution  he  '  must  put 
to  more  powder/  They  gloried  much  in  their  acquisition, 
and  the  day  was  often  fixed  by  public  rumour  for  my  bap- 
tism and  that  of  Mr.  Lyle.  It  was  evident,  however,  that 
Mr.  Speece  was  not  perfectly  happy  in  his  new  connection  ; 
yet  he  said  nothing.'' 

To  those  who  know  the  character  of  Dr.  Alexander's 
mind,  his  reverence  for  Scripture  as  the  sole  authority,  and 
his  extraordinary  acquaintance  with  the  various  literature 
of  this  controversy,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  his 
ultimate  determination  was  founded  exclusively  on  the  word 
of  God.  Historical  and  patristical  arguments  cleared  away 
prejudices,  and  brought  him  with,  an  unbiassed  judgment  to 
the  record.  None  know  better  than  those  Baptists,  who 
were  once  his  pupils,  how  largely  and  thoroughly  he  investi- 
gated the  purely  biblical  sources  of  opinion  on  this  topic, 
and  how  entirely  he  repudiated  all  other  grounds  for  pedo- 
baptism.  The  contrary  has  been  disingenuously  insinuated 
by  some  whose  personal  knowledge  might  have  prevented 
the  convenient  error.  In  the  very  manuscript  from  which  a 
portion  has  been  selected  for  the  Memoir,  as  having  some 
novelty,  there  is  a  sketch  of  the  scriptural  argument.  It  is 
omitted  by  us,  from  our  persuasion  that  none  even  among 
opponents  will  allow  themselves  to  quote  such  silence  as 


204  REMOVAL   OF    DOUBTS. 

proof  that  Dr.  Alexander  remained  a  pedobaptist  without 
biblical  warrant.  In  that  sketch,  which  is  too  long  for  oui 
narrative,  he  passes  under  review  the  arguments  for  infant 
baptism  which  controlled  his  life-long  judgment  ;  the  apos- 
tolic baptism  of  households,  as  explained  by  proselyte  bap- 
tisms ;  the  inclusion  of  infants  in  churches ;  the  federal  con- 
secration of  infants ;  the  analogy  of  circumcision  ;  the  identity 
of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  church ;  our  Lord's  treatment 
of  little  children.  The  expansion  of  these  and  like  argu- 
ments, in  his  elaborate  lectures,  is  remembered  by  hundreds, 
who  learned  from  him  to  go  to  the  Scriptures  for  the  settle- 
ment of  their  doubts. 

By  this  process  of  diligent  inquiry  his  mind  was  at 
length  brought  to  peace  upon  a  subject  which  had  given  him 
great  distress  for  as  much,  it  is  believed,  as  two  years.  He 
quietly  resumed  the  practice  of  the  church,  in  which  he 
was  joined  by  his  friend  and  relative  Mr.  Lyle.  And  after  a 
short  time  Mr.  Speece  returned  to  the  bosom  of  the  church, 
of  which  he  remained  for  many  years  an  ornament. 

It  is  not  without  entertainment  that  we  read  the  account 
of  these  events  in  the  "  History  of  the  Kise  and  Progress  of 
the  Baptists  in  Virginia,"  by  the  Kev.  Kobert  B.  Semple. 
He  is  speaking  of  the  Middle  District  Association. 

"The  sessions  were  as  usual,  until  October,  1800,  when 
they  met  at  Tarwallet  Meeting-house,  in  Cumberland 
County.  This  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  unplea- 
sant, and,  indeed,  confused  meetings,  that  the  Association 
had  ever  witnessed.  The  consequences  did  not  subside  for 
several  years,  as  we  shall  presently  show.    It  was  at  this  ses- 


BAPTIST    ACC013NT.  205 

fiion  that  Mr.  Conrad  Speece  (now  a  Presbyterian  preacher), 
who  had  been  baptized  in  the  course  of  the  year,  by  elder 
James  Saunders,  was  introduced  as  a  Baptist  preacher,  and 
was  found,  both  in  the  pulpit  and  private  conference,  agree- 
able and  clever.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  learn- 
ing, having  been  educated  for  a  Presbyterian  preacher.  By 
reading  some  treatise  on  believers'  baptism,  as  'tis  said, 
he  became  convinced  of  the  impropriety  of  infant  baptism. 
After  some  time  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  subject,  he  of- 
fered himself  as  a  candidate  for  baptism,  and  was  accord- 
ingly baptized  by  Mr.  Saunders.  Soon  after  this  Associa- 
tion, he  professed  to  be  again  convinced  of  the  validity  of 
infant  sprinkling,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Saunders,  to 
that  effect.  He  rejoined  the  Presbyterians,  and  has  since 
continued  with  them.  Of  his  motives  it  is  difficult  to  judge. 
By  some  it  was  said  that  he  was  disgusted  with  the  turbulent 
proceedings  of  the  Association  at  this  session  ;  by  others, 
that  Mr.  Speece  was  much  disappointed  on  finding  that 
Baptist  preachers  received  little  or  no  compensation  for 
their  ministerial  services.  It  is,  perhaps,  more  probable, 
that  he  found  the  general  tenor  of  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  Baptists  quite  difierent  from  his  own  and  those  of  his 
former  associates.  Finding  his  temper  soured  at  the  loss  of 
society  to  which  his  habits  were  assimilated,  and  not  able  at 
once  to  accommodate  himself  to  that  into  which  he  had  now 
fallen,  he  was  the  more  easily  persuaded  of  the  truth  of 
principles,  which  but  a  few  months  previously  he  had  re- 
nounced as  erroneous  and  false.  It  has  sometimes  been 
made  a  question  in  private  companies,  whether  it  would  not 


206  BAPTIST    ACCOVjNT. 

have  been  more  wise,  on  this  occasion,  to  have  separated 
baptism  and  church  membership.  Theix  ivere  at  this  time 
several  other  eminent  Presbyterian  preachers,  halting  between 
two  opinions.  It  was  thought  they  were  perfectly  per- 
suaded of  the  impropriety  of  infant  baptism,  and  therefore 
did  not  for  many  years  baptize  a  single  child,  but  were 
averse  to  joining  the  Baptists,  or,  however,  from  some  cause, 
did  not  do  it.  Now,  say  some,  had  one  or  more  of  these 
been  baptized,  without  requiring  them  to  become  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  he  could  have  baptized  the  rest,  and 
they  might  have  formed  a  society  to  themselves,  in  which 
the  ordinances  would  have  been  preserved  pure,  although 
their  church  government  and  general  manners  would  have 
been  different  from  the  other  Baptists.  These  suggestions 
were  wholly  speculative  ;  one  thing,  however,  is  certain,  that 
when  Mr.  Speece  deserted  the  Baptists,  the  scruples  of  all 
the  others  were  quickly  removed,  and  they  resumed  the  ab- 
surd practice  of  sprinkling  children.  Of  Speece  we  must 
say,  we  wish  that  he  had  either  never  submitted  to  baptism, 
or  that,  being  baptized,  he  had  not  again  turned  away/' 
pp.  197,  198. 

The  family  of  Dr.  Alexander  have  repeatedly  heard  him 
speak  of  a  long  journey  of  exploration  which  he  made 
during  these  years  into  what  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio.  He 
travelled  on  horseback,  with  a  mounted  and  armed  servant. 
But  we  can  turn  to  no  living  person  who  can  give  us'  the 
date.  Vve  remember  his  evening  stories  about  his  meeting 
a  bear  at  night,  and  his  coming  suddenly  on  a  camp  of 
hunters  whtF  were   rejoicing  over  great  spoil.     And  he  has 


JOURNEY    TO    THE    WEST.  207 

often  been  heard  to  say,  that  in  Chilicothe,  which  is  now 
a  city,  the  best  room  in  the  best  house,  at  the  time  of 
his  visit,  had  the  stump  of  a  tree  remaining  in  its  earthen 
floor. 

Aged  persons  remember  the  days  in  which  he  was  a 
daring  horseman,  an  accomplishment  certainly  not  rare 
among  gentlemen  bred  in  the  South.  This  must  seem 
strange  to  those  whose  memory  recalls  only  the  contrast  of 
his  later  years,  when  he  never  mounted  a  horse,  and  seldom 
entered  a  vehicle.  The  sister  is  still  living  in  a  serene  and 
lovely  old  age,  who  in  childhood  accompanied  the  young 
missionary  on  a  journey  of  more  than  sixty  miles,  clinging 
behind  his  saddle.  It  was  a  preaching  tour  ;  and  with  that 
spirit  of  adventure  which  belonged  to  his  nature,  and  that 
contempt  for  mere  conventionalities  which  never  forsook 
him,  he  took  the  child  of  ten  years  as  his  companion. 
The  expedition  is  fresh  in  her  memory  after  sixty  years. 
She  speaks  of  crossing  the  mountain  range  of  the  Blue 
Kidge,  where  there  was  no  road  but  a  bridle-path,  and  of 
the  high  excitement  awakened  by  the  fresh  forest  and  the 
unwonted  scenes  of  sublime  nature.  And  she  tells  how  her 
brother,  wearied  with  her  unceasing  prattle,  vexed  withal 
with  toothache,  and  perhaps,  as  his  manner  was,  "studying 
as  he  rode,  offered  her  a  silver  dollar  if  she  would  hold  her 
peace.  Our  informant  is  Mrs.  Elizabeth  McClung,  of  Staun- 
ton, now  the  sole  survivor  of  all  those  sons  and  daughters  ; 
and  the  living  resemblance  in  face  and  manner  of  her  de- 
parted brother. 

Since  the  more  extended  memoir  was  written,  a  number 


208  JOURNEY   TO   THE   WEST. 

of  little  pocket  memorandum  books  have  come  to  light^ 
which  contain  accurate  lists  of  all  the  discourses  preached 
during  this  period.  In  later  years,  this  method  was  dropped, 
as,  indeed,  was  every  thing  which  looked  like  an  enumera- 
tion of  duties  and  performances,  or  connected  the  personality 
of  the  preacher  with  the  great  and  paramount  work  of  God 
by  him.  In  all  his  life,  he  knew  nothing  of  gratulatory 
assemblages,  ministerial  anniversaries,  or  jubilees ;  while  his 
peculiar  tolerance  and  candour  kept  him  froiQ' censuring 
those  who  accepted  such  oiferings  of  partiality. 


CHAPTER    NINTH. 
1801. 

RESIGNATION      OF     PRESIDENTSHIP JOURNEY       NORTHWARD — DR.      WADDEl 

AMOS      THOMPSON FREEMAN       THE       FANATIC PHILADELPHIA THH 

GENERAL     ASSEMBLY PRINCETON — NEW-YORK GENERAL     ASSOCIATION 

OF     CONNECTICUT HARTFORD — DR.     STRONG NEWPORT DR.      HOPKINS 

AND   DR.    PATTON — DR.    EMMONS. 

AFTER  remaining  at  Hampden  Sidney  until  the  spring 
of  the  year  1801,  Mr.  Alexander  resigned  his  office  as 
president,  and  resigned  his  pastoral  charge.  His  motive  was 
twofold  ;  first,  the  restoration  of  his  health,  which  had  been 
impaired  by  several  severe  attacks  of  illness,  and  a  desire 
to  visit  New  England,  which  he  had  long  cherished.  An 
expectation  prevailed  among  most  of  the  people  that  he 
would  return  after  a  few  months  to  resume  the  duties  of  his 
post,  and  hence  no  efforts  were  made  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
Indeed,  he  was  assured  by  the  Trustees  of  the  college, 
and  the  elders  of  the  churches,  that  they  would  gladly  re- 
ceive him  after  the  temporary  absence.     He  resolved,  how- 


210  JOURNEY   NORTHWARD. 

ever,  to  fetter  himself  by  no  engagementSj  so  that  he  might 
be  free  to  accept  any  situation  of  greater  usefulness  which 
might  be  presented.  He  was  chosen  by  the  Hanover  Pres- 
bytery as  a  commissioner  to  the  approaching  General  As- 
sembly. 

Travelling  on  horseback,  and  at  a  time  when  bank-notes 
were  little  in  use,  he  carried  his  money  in  his  saddle-bags. 
The  first  night  after  leaving  home,  in  the  county  of  Cum- 
berland, he  was  robbed,  by  some  one  who  cut  the  leather 
containing  his  little  store.  On  the  day  after  leaving  tliis 
place,  he  was  seized  with  so  violent  a  chill,  that  he  was 
obliged  to  turn  into  a  house  not  f\xr  from  the  road,  and  seek 
permission  to  lie  down.  Pursuing  his  journey,  he  is  led  to 
observe,  that  the  whole  course  of  a  man's  life  may  depend  on 
a  determination  which  he  makes  from  motives  of  very  little 
weight.  For  he  hesitated  for  some  time  whether  he  should 
go  the  upper  road,  by  the  Kev.  Dr.  Waddel's,  or  the  lower 
road,  by  the  Kev.  John  Todd's,  who  had  requested  him  to 
attend  the  communion  of  their  church.  His  preference  of 
the  former  led  to  one  of  the  most  important  events  of  his 
life. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  James  Waddel,  celebrated  as  the  Blind 
Preacher  of  Wirt's  British  Spy,  was  now  in  old  age  residing 
on  his  estate,  at  the  junction  of  the  three  counties  of  Louisa, 
Orange  and  Albemarle ;  his  dwelling  being  in  the  first 
named  of  these.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1739,  and  was 
educated  in  Pennsylvania,  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Finley,  afterwards  president  of  New  Jersey  College.  He 
was  licensed  as  a  probationer  by  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover, 


DR.    WADDEL.  211 

in  1761,  and  in  the  same  year  received  calls  from  five  con- 
gregations at  once  ;  none  of  which  he  accepted.  In  1762.^ 
he  became  pastor  of  the  churches  of  Lancastei  and 
Northumberland,  lying  between  the  great  rivers  Potomac 
and  Rappahannock.  Here  he  would  cheerfully  have  spent 
his  life,  amidst  extraordinary  usefulness,  and  in  the  bosom 
of  a  loving  people,  but  for  the  ill  effects  of  the  climate. 
About  the  year  1777,  \nth  a  constitution  almost  ruined,  he 
accepted  a  second  call  to  the  church  of  Tinkling  Spring,  in 
Augusta.  The  last  earthly  removal  of  Dr.  Waddel  was  to 
an  estate  called  Hopewell,  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain. 
It  was  here  that  Mr.  Alexander  was  about  to  visit  him. 

Dr.  Waddel  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  clergymen 
of  his  time.  To  great  learning,  he  added  an  eloquence  so  re- 
markable, that  the  traditionary  accounts  of  it  seem  almost 
fabulous.  It  was  of  that  sort  which  electrifies  whole  assem- 
blies, transferring  to  them  the  speaker's  passion,  at  his  will ; 
a  species,  we  must  own,  which  has  prevailed  very  much  at 
the  South.  Under  his  preaching,  audiences  were  moved 
simultaneously  and  irresistibly,  as  the  trees  of  the  wood  are 
shaken  by  a  tempest.  Especially  was  his  power  great,  in  so 
painting  his  sacred  scenes  as  to  bring  the  hearer  into  the 
very  presence  of  the  object.  When  he  rose  in  scornful 
argument,  it  was  like  a  sweeping  torrent,  which  carries 
every  thing  before  it.  He  died  on  the  17th  of  September, 
1805.  During  some  years  of  his  life,  he  was  afflicted  with 
blindness.  A  cataract  seized  first  one  eye,  and  then  the 
other,  leaving  him  in  total  darkness.  By  means  of  the 
operation  of  couching,  he  recovered  the  sight  of  one  eye. 


212  AMOS    THOMPSON. 

During  this  great  privation,  he  still  retained  his  ardent 
thirst  fen-  knowledge,  and  caused  many  volumes,  some  of 
which  were  in  the  Latin  tongue,  to  be  read  to  him  by  his 
daughter  Janetta,  whose  name  now  becomes  connected  with 
our  narrative. 

Mr.  Alexander  had  seen  this  young  lady  before,  in  visits 
which  he  had  made  at  Hopewell,  the  residence  of  Dr.  Wad- 
del.  Her  beauty  had  struck  him,  but  the  impression  was 
transient.  When  he  now  saw  her  again,  waitin«r  with  filial 
piety  on  her  venerable  father,  and  during  a  sojourn  of  several 
days  learned  more  fully  the  excellencies  of  her  character,  he 
determined  to  seek  her  hand,  and  being  accepted,  proceeded 
on  his  journey  with  a  pleasing  obligation  to  return  ;  though, 
as  he  says,  his  resolution  had  been  to  go  to  the  North 
untrammelled. 

"  While  I  remained  here,"  so  says  the  narrative,  "  a 
clergyman  came  to  the  house,  of  whom  I  had  often  heard, 
though  I  had  never  seen  him.  The  Rev.  Amos  Thompson, 
who  had  long  resided  in  Loudon  County,  Virginia,  was  a 
man  of  gigantic  frame,  but  not  in  the  least  inclined  to  cor- 
pulency. His  bodily  strength  was  prodigious,  several  proofs  of 
which  I  had  from  himself  He  came  to  the  northern  part 
of  Virginia,  before  the  Revolutionary  War  ;  and  before  his 
arrival,  the  Baptists  were  the  only  dissenters  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  Old  Father  Thomas,  one  of  their  leading  preach- 
ers, and  a  man  of  many  oddities,  had  been  threatened  with 
personal  violence  by  a  set  of  profane  and  lawless  men,  if  he 
should  ever  show  his  face  in  a  certain  pulpit,  where  he  had 
preached  hr  some  time.     The  old  man  took  a  journey  of 


AMOS    THOMPSON.  213 

twenty  or  thirty  miles,  to  obtain  the  presence  of  Amos 
Thompson  at  the  aforesaid  place.  Thompson,  being  fearless 
and  fond  of  adventure,  at  once  agreed  to  go  and  preach  for 
him.  When  they  arrived,  a  great  multitude  had  assembled, 
some  to  hear  the  preacher,  and  some  to,  see  the  sport,  for 
the  ruffians  had  sworn  that  they  would  beat  old  Thomas. 
While  Mr.  Thompson  was  at  prayer,  a  company  armed  with 
bludgeons  entered  the  house,  and  took  their  position  just 
before  the  pulpit  ;  but  when  they  saw  the  brawny  arm  and 
undaunted  appearance  of  the  preacher,  they  became  alarmed, 
and  permitted  the  service  to  go  on  to  its  conclusion.  I 
ought  to  have  stated,  that  at  the  close  of  his  discourse,  Mr. 
Thompson  addressed  himself  directly  to  these  men,  and  ex- 
postulated with  them  on  the  unlawfulness  of  their  proceed- 
ings ;  assuring  them,  that  Mr.  Thomas,  though  a  dissenter, 
was  under  the  protection  of  the  law,  and  that  if  a  finger 
shoald  be  raised  against  him,  the  law  should  be  put  in  force, 
foi  that  he  would  spend  all  the  little  property  he  possessed 
in  seeing  that  justice  was  done.  He  concluded  by  saying, 
that  although  he  was  a  preacher,  and  a  man  of  peace,  he 
held  it  to  be  right,  when  attacked,  to  defend  himself,  which 
he  was  ready  and  able  to  do.  When  the  meeting  was  ended, 
he  went  out  of  the  house  and  inquired  for  the  captain  of  the 
band.  Being  led  to  the  spot  where  they  were  collected,  he 
approached  this  man,  and  asked  him  to  go  aside  with  him. 
A  stout,  bold-looking  man  walked  off  with  him  towards  the 
wood,  on  entering  which  he  appeared  to  be  panic-struck, 
stopped,  and  raised  his  club.  Thompson  said,  ^  Fie,  man, 
what  can  you  do  with  that  ? '   and  in  a  moment  wrested  it 


*J14  FREEMAN    THE    FANATIC. 

out  of  liis  hand,  adding  that  he  intended  no  violence,  but 
tliut  ir  so  disposed,  he  could  hurl  him  to  the  earth  in  a  mo- 
ment. The  ruffian  was  completely  overawed,  and  was  ^lad 
to  escape  from  so  powerful  an  antagonist.  Father  Thomas 
received  no  further  molestation. 

"  Thompson  was  a  graduate  of  Princeton  College  (in 
1760),  while  Mr.  Davies  was  President.  He  was,  I  think, 
a  native  of  Connecticut.  Soon  after  being  licensed,  having 
heard  that  the  Bev.  Samuel  Hopkins  had  adopted  some  novel 
opinions  in  theology,  he  took  horse  and  travelled  to  New- 
port, to  converse  with  this  celebrated  man,  and.  if  possible 
to  convince  him  of  his  errors.  The  result  was,  that  after 
discussing  the  disputed  points  for  several  days,  he  came 
away  a  thorough  convert  to  Dr.  Hopkins's  system,  to  which 
he  tenaciously  adhered  until  his  dying  day,  and  which  he 
preached  on  all  occasions,  tilling  the  minds  of  the  untheologi- 
cal  Virginians  with  astonishment,  and  often  with  displeasure. 

"  When  I  met  Mr.  Thompson  at  Hopewell,  he  was  about 
seventy  years  of  age,  and  had  been  journeying  to  Henry 
Court  House,  more  than  three  hundred  miles  from  his  resi- 
dence, to  attend  on  a  lawsuit,  for  a  piece  of  land  to  which 
he  thought  that  he  had  a  title  ;  I  travelled  for  several  days 
with  him.  As  he  often  alighted  to  get  fire  for  his  pipe, 
which  he  kept  almost  continually  in  his  mouth,  we  made 
slow  progress.  Soon  after  this,  the  old  gentleman  died 
suddenly,  I  believe." 

Pursuing  his  journey  northward,  Mr.  Alexander  passed 
through  Alexandria,  Georgetown  and  Washington.  At  i  \e 
last-named  place,   he  met  with  Adam  Freeman,  latelj   a 


ADAM    FREEMAN.  21.") 

minister  of  the  Gospel,  but  now  a  wild  enthusiast.  The 
case  of  this  unfortunate  man  is  too  full  of  warning,  to  be 
passed  over  without  particular  notice. 

Adam  Freeman  was  a  schoolmaster  at  Lexington,  durino* 
the  revival  times.  He  was  remarkable  for  a  long  visage, 
large  mouth,  very  black  hair,  and  lips  which  scarcely  con- 
cealed his  teeth  ;  he  was  tall,  raw-boned,  and  of  knotty 
joints.  He  attended  a  dancing-school,  but  with  no  very 
notable  amendment  in  his  carriage.  In  1789,  having  been 
lately  admitted  to  the  bar,  Freeman  became  interested  in 
the  great  revival,  of  wliich  much  has  already  been  said. 
From  the  first,  he  seemed  to  possess  a  full  assurance  of  the 
favour  of  Grod.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
inveighed  earnestly  against  intemperance  in  eating,  and  the 
excesses  of  female  dress.  After  obtaining  a  settlement,  he 
became  much  distressed  at  the  wicked  and  corrupt  state  of 
the  church,  and  after  revolving  the  matter  for  some  time, 
resolved  to  demand  of  every  communicant  in  his  charge 
a  full  account  of  his  inward  state,  and  to  warn  such  as 
seemed  unfit,  against  approaching  the  Lord's  Table.  He 
was  next  led  to  attribute  the  corruption  of  the  church,  to 
the  membership  of  infants,  and  published  a  pamphlet,  en- 
titled "  The  Death  and  Burial  of  Infant  Baptism."  The 
principle  which  he  now  adopted,  was,  that  nothing  in  religion 
was  to  be  practised,  for  which  we  can  find  no  example  or 
explicit  command  in  Scripture.  Hence,  he  would  neither 
pray  nor  sing  before  preaching,  and  likewise  disused  family 
worship.  But  he  had  not  been  many  weeks  among  the  Bap- 
tists, before  he  found  that  they  needed  further  reformation. 


216  ADAM    FREEMAN. 

Being  unsuccessful  in  his  endeavours,  he  pubHshed  a  philip- 
pic acjainst  the  Baptists,  and  gave  notice  that  he  had  set  up  a 
church  of  liis  own  ;  into  wliich,  however,  he  could  gather 
but  nine  persons. 

Giving  a  literal  interpretation  to  the  last  chapter  of 
Mark,  he  next  attempted  to  perform  a  miracle,  by  healing 
a  woman  who  was  ill.  The  failure  on  this  occasion  only 
convinced  him  that  his  faith  was  not  genuine,  and  he  went 
home  in  the  greatest  distress.  He  gave  himself  up  to  fasting 
and  prayer,  and  after  much  study  came  to  the  conclusion, 
that  no  part  of  the  Bible  is  inspired  except  the  books  of 
Ezekiel  and  Kevelation.  In  process  of  time,  he  declared 
himself  to  be  the  Shiloh  of  the  prophecy.  While  in  this 
frenzy,  he  went  to  a  neighbouring  town,  directed  as  he  said 
to  observe  a  fast  of  three  weeks,  and  to  warn  the  people  of 
impending  destruction.  For  months  he  had  allowed  his 
beard  to  grow,  and  now  wore  a  long  white  garment,  so  that 
his  appearance  was  terrific.  He  passed  through  the  streets 
in  this  guise,  crying,  "  Wo,  wo,  wo  !  "  He  was  apprehended, 
and  on  being  brought  before  the  magistrates,  made  a  defence 
of  great  ability  and  severity.  He  left  the  place  denouncing 
anathemas,  and  shaking  off  the  dust  of  his  feet  against  it. 
Soon  after  this,  he  appeared  at  the  house  of  a  gentleman  of 
Alexandria,  clothed,  and  in  his  right  mind,  but  declaring, 
that  as  to  religion,  he  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with 
it.  He  went  to  the  remote  south,  and  resumed  the  practice 
of  the  law  ;  but  was  seized  with  a  fever,  which  soon  put  an 
end  to  his  life. 

But  we  must  accompany  Mr   Alexander  on  his  journey 


rHIl.ADELPHIA.  217 

northward.  He  arrived  at  Philadelphiaj  and  attended  tht 
General  Assembly,  wliicli  met  on  the  twenty-first'  of  May, 
1801.  He  was  the  only  commissioner  from  his  Presbytery, 
and  there  were  only  three  from  the  Southern  States.  It 
may  remind  us  of  the  growth  of  our  church,  that  seventeen 
Presb)yteries  were  represented.  Here,  however,  he  was  brought 
into  a  nearer  acquaintance  with  several  eminent  men,  among 
whom  were  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jonathan  Edwards,  Dr.  McMillan, 
the  patriarch  of  western  Pennsylvania,  Dr.  Green,  Dr.  Wood- 
hull,  and  Dr.  McKnight.  Here  also  he  first  met  with  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  wdth  whom  he  was  to  spend  more  than 
thirty-five  years  of  harmonious  labour,  but  who  was  now  in 
the  early  bloom  of  manly  vigour.  Reports  were  brought  to 
this  Assembly,  of  the  remarkable  revivals  in  the  West,  by 
w^hich  our  churches  were  largely  extended  in  that  growing 
region  ;  and  the  Synod  of  Virginia  made  it  known,  that  they 
had  employed  six  missionaries  to  labour  west  of  the  Alleghe- 
ny. This  Assembly  was  further  remarkable  for  the  adoption 
of  regulations  for  the  government  of  churches  in  the  new 
settlements,  where  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  are 
intermingled.  The  whole  acts  of  this  Assembly  bear  marks 
of  a  zeal  for  the  extension  of  the  church,  and  of  a  missionary 
spirit  in  regard  to  the  heathen.  Mr.  Alexander  was  ap- 
pointed a  delegate  to  the  General  Association  of  Connecticut, 
together  with  Dr.  McKnight,  of  New- York,  and  young  Dr, 
Linn,  of  Philadelphia. 

Here  he  had  another  attack  of  remittent  fever,  the  last 
which  ever  visited  him.  We  were  informed  by  the  late  Rev. 
Dr.  Hillyer,  of  New  Jersey,  that  he  fell  in  with  Mr.  Alex- 


218  PllINCETON. 

ander  during  this  sojourn  ;  that  tJie  hittor  considered  hh 
Btate  of  health  as  threatening,  and  was  much  impressed 
with  a  belief  that  his  labours  were  soon  to  end. 

On  leaving  the  great  city,  he  proceeded,  still  on  horse- 
back, through  New  Jersey  to  New-York.  His  companion 
was  Mr.  Charles  Coffin,  a  young  minister  of  New  England, 
who  had  been  sent  out  to  East  Tennessee,  where  he  united 
with  the  Rev.  Hezekiah  Balch,  in  gaining  many  adherents 
to  the  new  views  of  Hopkins.  He  was  an  alumnus  of  Har- 
vard, and  a  man  of  respectable  talents,  but  strongly  attached 
to  the  scheme  of  Emmons.  On  the  first  day  they  reached 
Trenton,  where  they  lodged  with  the  Eev.  James  F.  Arm- 
strong. 

"The  next  stage,"  says  he  about  1849,  "we  travelled 
no  further  than  Princeton  ;  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  the 
place  where  I  have  already  spent  above  thirty  years  of  my 
life,  and  where  I  shall  in  all  probability  lay  my  bones.  Such 
a  view  uf  futurity  as  should  have  presented  to  me  the  events 
of  my  life,  would  then  have  appeared  very  strange."  He 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  President  Smith,  who  had 
known  his  father  and  grandfather,  and  had  been  seen  by 
him  at  meetings  of  the  Oeneral  Assembly  in  Winchester 
and  Philadelj^hia.  In  those  days  the  talk  in  Princeton,  was 
about  Godwin's  Political  Justice,  a  book  which  has  lost  its 
interest,  and  about  a.  young  man,  lately  a  tutor  in  the  col- 
lege, whose  eloquence  was  awakening  attention.  This  was 
the  celebrated  Henry  Kollock. 

"  The  next  day  we  went  on  to  New  Brunswick,  where 
7^e  intended  to  pass  the  Sabbath.     Colonel  John  Bayard, 


NEW-YORK HORSE    NECK.  219 

the  father  of  Andrew,  Samuel,  James,  and  John,  had  met 
me  in  Philadelphia  and  kindly  invited  me  to  stop  at  his 
house.  In  the  afternoon  I  preached  for  the  Rev.  Dr.  Clark, 
in  my  usual  Virginia  style,  without  notes,  on  the  conversion 
of  Paul.  Here  I  became  acquainted  with  Judge  Paterson, 
with  whom  I  was  greatly  pleased.  With  great  talents,  ex- 
tensive knowledge,  and  profound  legal  attainments,  he  was 
as  gentle  and  imassuming  as  any  man  I  ever  met  with.  Dr. 
Clark  was  an  excellent  man  and  greatly  esteemed  by  his 
people.  Col.  Bayard  was  a  gentleman  of  generous  feelings, 
who  had  been  much  in  public  life,  both  civil  and  ecclesiasti- 
cal ;  for  he  had  been  President  of  Congress,  and  often  in  the 
General  Assembly. 

A  single  stage  brought  them  to  New-York,  where  Mr. 
Alexander  was  courteously  entertained  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
McKnight.  There  he  was  brought  into  more  close  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  as  yet  unmarried,  and 
resident  with  his  distinguished  brother,  Edward  Miller, 
M.  D.  Dr.  Rodgers  was  now  advanced  in  years,  but  still 
occupied  the  pulpit  of  the  First  Church  in  his  turn. 

At  Horse  Neck,  in  Connecticut,  now  Greenwich,  they 
enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  Dr.  Isaac  Lewis,  at  the  finely  situ- 
ated dwelling  which  is  still  occupied  by  his  descendants. 
Dr.  Lewis  was  a  man  of  science,  and  had  been  thought  of 
as  qualified  for  the  presidentship  of  Yale  College,  when  his 
neighbour,  Dr.  Dwight,  was  chosen.  This  excellent  clergy- 
man was  the  father  of  Mr.  Zechariah  Lewis,  of  New- York. 
Their  next  stage  was  Norwalk,  on  the  Sound,  where  they 
were  kindly  received  by  Dr,  Burnett,  who  had  received  hi3 


220  DANBURY — LITCHFIELD. 

education  at  Princeton.  At  Danbury  they  fell  in  with 
Doctors  McKnight  and  Linn,  on  their  way  to  the  General 
Association,  and  the  whole  company  was  entertained  by  a 
wealthy  deacon.  Here  they  saw  a  few  Sandemanians  col- 
lecting for  their  worship.  Here,  also,  they  saw  still  in  use 
the  pillions  on  which  women  rode  to  church  behind  their 
husbands  and  fathers.  At  every  step  they  had  cause  to  ad- 
mire the  unaffected  hospitality  of  New  England.  Some 
sketches  in  the  words  of  the  manuscript  journal  will  be  ac- 
ceptable to  the  reader. 

"  From  Danbury  we  proceeded  to  Litchfield,  and  arrived 
early  in  the  day  on  which  the  General  Association  was  to 
meet.  The  appearance  of  the  old  country  clergymen  was  to 
me  novel  and  grotesque.  They  came  into  town  on  horseback 
or  in  chaises,  wearing  cocked  hats,  and  sometimes  queues 
dangling  down  the  back.  The  opening  sermon  was  preached 
by  Dr.  Perkins,  of  Hartford.  The  ministers  all  met  at  the 
house  of  the  pastor,  Mr.  Huntington  ;  and  the  first  thing 
was  a  distribution  of  long  pipes  and  papers  of  tobacco,  so 
that  the  room  was  soon  filled  with  smoke. 

"  According  to  usage  the  delegates  were  lodged  at  the 
house  of  the  pastor,  a  very  polite  and  hospitable  man,  who 
soon  afterwards  became  a  Unitarian.  Dr.  Linn  requested  me 
to  go  into  the  pulpit  with  him.  About  the  time  of  assem- 
bling, a  black  cloud  arose,  causing  such  darkness  that  long 
before  he  had  got  through  his  sermon  he  was  unable  to  deci- 
pher his  manuscript.  Mr.  Huntington  sent  the  sexton  for 
candles,  and  these  were  placed  in  candlesticks  on  the  pulpit. 
The  windows  however  were  open,  and  the  wind  being  high, 


GENERAL    ASSOCIATION.  221 

the  lights  flared  so  much  that  Dr.  Linn  could  not  make  out 
to  read  what  lay  before  him,  and  taking  the  paper  in  his 
handj  held  it  first  to  one  candle  and  then  to  the  other,  until 
at  length  he  impatiently  threw  down  his  manuscript,  and 
attempted  to  conclude  his  sermon  extempore.  But  he  suc- 
ceeded poorly  in  a  kind  of  preaching  to  which  he  was  little 
accustomed.  He  was,  nevertheless,  a  man  of  genius  and  a 
splendid  orator.  He  died  by  the  rupture  of  a  bloodvessel,  at 
the  early  age  of  twenty-six.  His  ability  as  a  writer  may  be 
learnt  from  from  his  controversy  with  Dr.  Priestley  respect- 
ing the  divinity  of  Christ.  He  was  the  colleague  of  Dr. 
Ewing,  whom  he  succeeded  in  the  First  Church  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

"  The  General  Association  seemed  to  have  little  business, 
and  there  were  no  set  speeches.  The  famous  '  Plan  of 
Union,'  which  made  so  much  noise  in  after  years,  had  been 
adopted  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  this  year,  under  the 
influence  of  Dr.  Jonathan  Edwards,  president  of  Union  Col- 
lege, and  was  ratified  by  the  Association  without  discussion. 
Dr.  Nathan  Strong  was  evidently  the  leading  spirit. 

"  After  the  General  Association  was  over,  Cofiin  and  I 
mounted  our  horses  and  took  the  direction  of  Hartford. 
About  the  middle  of  the  day  we  arrived  at  the  house  of  the 
Kev.  Mr.  Cowles,  whom  Coffin  said  we  must  not  pass,  as  he 
was  a  clergyman  of  some  distinction  and  a  writer  on  Infant 
Baptism.  At  Hartford  I  went  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Strong's, 
who  had  reached  home  before  us,  and  now  received  me  cor- 
dially. Dr.  Strong  was  somewhat  humorous  in  bis  conver- 
sation.    The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath,  and  I  preached  foi 


222  HARTFORD. 

him.  I  found  throughout  New  England  that  expressions  of 
approbation  and  even  admiration  in  regard  to  sermons,  were 
much  more  unreserved  than  in  Virginia ;  and  it  aiFected  me 
strangely  to  have  my  preaching  praised.  My  sentiments 
suited  Dr.  Strong,  on  this  account,  that  he  had  drawn  back 
from  the  ultraism  of  Hopkins,  Emmons  and  others,  and 
that  Coffin,  as  it  appeared,  had  delivered  a  discourse  in 
which  he  recognised  the  doctrine,  that  God  is  the  efficient 
cause  of  sin.  With  this  Dr.  Strong  was  dissatisfied,  and  in 
the  morning  spoke  to  us  both,  as  though  we  entertained  that 
opinion  ;  but  I  immediately  disclaimed  it,  and  left  Coffin  to 
defend  his  own  tenets. 

"  The  year  before  there  had  been  a  glorious  revival  in 
Dr.  Strong's  congregation,  more  considerable  than  any  which 
had  occurred  since  the  great  awakening  in  the  time  of  Presi- 
dent Edwards.  The  enthusiasm  and  divisions  which  brought 
disgrace  on  that  work,  had  left  in  the  sober-minded  a  dread 
of  all  religious  excitements.  When  the  revival  began  in 
Hartford,  as  Dr.  Strong  told  me,  he  was  alarmed  and  thrown 
into  great  perplexity,  as  to  whether  he  should  encourage  or 
suppress  it.  Labouring  under  this  anxiety  he  went  for  ad- 
vice to  Chief  Justice  Ellsworth,  on  whose  judgment  he 
placed  great  reliance.  The  Judge  counselled  him  to  go  for- 
ward, encouraging  the  seriousness,  but  to  guard  against  ex- 
travagances. A  similar  awakening  was  experienced  in  most 
of  the  congregations  in  the  State  ;  of  which  a  full  account 
may  be  seen  in  the  Connecticut  Evangelical  Magazine.  Dr. 
Strong  took  me  in  his  chaise  to  visit  Judge  Ellsworth  in  North 
Hartford      I  had  a  particular  desire  to  see  this  distinguished 


DB.    STRONG.  223 

man  ;  but  we  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  find  him  at  home. 
In  returning  we  called  and  took  tea  with  Mr.  Kowland,  the 
minister  of  North  Hartford.  We  found  here  the  Kev.  Dr. 
Lyman,  of  Hatfield,  on  his  way  to  New  Haven,  to  pxCad  for 
a  church  there  against  their  minister.  He  was  famous,  as  I 
learned,  on  such  occasions,  and  was  sent  for  from  far  and 
near.  Dr.  Lyman,  though  dry  and  metaphysical,  and  appa- 
rently ^ot  susceptible  of  tender  feeling,  was  a  sound  theolo- 
gian, and  a  clear-headed  and  truly  benevolent  man.  The 
zeal  and  constancy  with  which  he  sustained  the  cause  of 
Foreign  Missions,  furnish  good  evidence  of  his  enlarged  and 
Christian  views.  I  was  told  that  there  was  not  a  family  in 
Hatfield  which  did  not  belong  to  his  charge ;  and  that  the 
manners  of  the  people  retained  all  the  puritanic  simplicity 
of  the  preceding  century. 

"  Much  attention  was  paid  to  church  music  at  this  time 
in  New  England  ;  but  the  taste  was  not  the  most  pure  and 
refined.  Choirs  were  found  every  where,  and  the  singing 
was  very  much  confined  to  them.  This  struck  me  unfavour- 
ably. There  was  little  appearance  of  devotion  in  the  choir, 
and  less  in  the  congregation.  In  Dr.  Flint's  church,  I  was 
informed  before  I  went,  that  the  chorister  would  send  into 
the  pulpit  the  psalms  which  were  to  be  given  out. 

"In  the  evening  of  the  Sabbath  we  had  a  delightful 
meeting  in  Dr.  Strong's  lecture-room,  where  I  was  again 
called  upon  to  speak.  A  large  portion  of  the  assembly  was 
made  up  of  new  converts,  fruits  of  the  late  revival,  with 
whose  appearance  I  was  greatly  pleased.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Cooley  has  informed  me,  that  he  came  there  that  evening  in 


224  DR.    STRONG. 

grcjit  distress  of  mind,  under  which  he  had  laboured  for 
months,  and  that  he  found  peace  and  comfort  to  his  soul. 
There  still  remained  some  cases  of  obstinate  dejection. 
Among  these  was  a  young  son  of  Dr.  Strong,  about  sixteen 
or  seventeen  years  of  age.  I  conversed  with  him,  at  the 
request  of  the  father,  but  could  not  succeed  in  disi^elling  the 
darkness  which  hung  over  his  mind. 

"  Dr.  Strong  was  a  graduate  of  Princeton  College,  and 
in  principle  a  Presbyterian  as  to  church  government.  He 
was  much  celebrated  for  his  powers  of  wit  and  satire. 
He  pubUshed  two  volumes  of  sermons,  such  as  he  preached 
to  his  people.  They  are  more  practical  and  experimental 
than  any  discourses  issued  in  New  England  about  this 
time.  But  they  are  deeply  imbued  with  the  new  theo- 
logical opinions  now  generally  embraced  in  that  countrji. 
He  published  also  a  volume  on  Universal  Salvation,  in  answer 
to  a  posthumous  work  of  his  intimate  friend,  Dr.  Joseph 
Huntington,  entitled  ^  Calvinism  Improved.'  The  argument 
is  founded  on  the  optimistic  principle,  that  the  introduction 
of  sin  and  its  eternal  punishment  tend  to  the  highest  possi- 
ble degree  of  happiness  in  the  universe.  On  this  principle, 
the  reasoning  is  ingeniously  and  forcibly  conducted.  The 
work  gave  great  satisfaction  to  all  Hopkinsians  in  New  Eng- 
land, but  has  been  little  read  elsewhere.  Nevertheless,  Dr. 
Strong,  like  Dr.  Dwight,  drew  back  from  the  opinion  that 
God  is  the  author  of  sin,  and  also  from  making  a  willingness 
to  be  damned  a  sign  of  grace,  and  from  denouncing  the  use 
of  means  in  the  case  of  the  unregenerate.  These  three 
things  they  were  accustomed  to  name  as  the  characteristics 


SERMON    BY    THE   WAY.  225 

of  Hopkinsianism ;  so  that  when  Dr.  James  P.  "Wilson 
visited  President  Dwight,  he  was  assured  by  him  that  there 
were  no  Hopkinsians  among  them,  and  was  referred  to  these 
tenets  as  the  criterion. 

"  Leaving  Hartford,  we  directed  our  course  towards  New 
London.  About  the  middle  of  a  very  hot  day  we  arrived  at 
Lebanon  Crank,  where  we  observed  that  the  church  was  full 
of  people.  We  put  up  our  horses  at  the  tavern,  went  into 
the  assembly  covered  with  dust,  and  took  our  seats  near  the 
door.  The  clergyman,  a  middle-aged  man  of  low  stature, 
had  just  finished  the  introductory  services,  and  seeing  us 
enter,  suspected  us  to  be  travelling  ministers,  came  down  to 
inquire,  and  finding  his  surmises  correct,  entreated  and  in- 
sisted that  one  of  us  should  preach  for  him.  He  informed 
us  that  an  extensive  revival  was  in  progress  among  his 
people.  Mr.  Coffin  put  the  service  off  upon  me,  and  up  I 
went  with  all  my  dust  unbrushed,  and  gave  an  extempore 
lecture  on  the  Parable  of  the  Sower.  The  pastor  thanked 
me  over  and  over  for  the  discourse,  which  he  said  was  exactly 
adapted  to  his  people's  present  condition  ;  but  expressed 
some  astonishment  that  I  could  go  regularly  through  such  an 
exercise  without  any  sign  of  a  note.  He  said  that  the  aid  was 
most  opportune.  He  had  been  so  occupied  with  counselling 
inquirers  and  preaching  lectures,  that  he  had  never  before 
had  so  little  preparation.  He  took  me  home  with  him,  and 
gave  me  a  particular  account  of  the  origin  and  progress  of 
the  awakening,  which  may  be  found  described  in  the  maga- 
zine above  named."  Twenty  or  thirty  years  afterward,  the 
Rev    Mr.   Wright,  a  missionary  to  the  Choctaw  Indians, 

16 


226  .  KHODE   ISLAND. 

called  on  Dr.  Alexander,  and  informed  him  that  he  was  then 
present,  under  his  first  religious  impressions. 

The  following  day  they  were  at  Norwich,  with  the  Kev. 
Joseph  Strong,  a  brother  of  Dr.  Nathan  Strong  of  Hartford. 
"In  the  morning  we  arrived  at  New  London,  and  having 
been  previously  invited,  lodged  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Channing, 
an  uncle  of  the  great  Channing  of  Boston,  a  sensible  man, 
but  evidently  no  friend  to  evangelical  religion  or  to  revivals. 
Crossing  the  Thames  next  day  we  came  into  the  wildest  part 
of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  which  borders  on  Rhode  Island. 
The  change  became  more  manifest  every  mile  we  travelled, 
and  we  were  soon  in  the  midst  of  the  Narraganset  country, 
famous  for  its  milk  and  cheese.  About  noon  we  met  crowds 
of  people  in  the  road,  returning  from  a  Baptist  meeting, 
where  n-^arly  thirty  ministers  had  convened  to  ordain  a 
brother  over  a  vacant  church  ;  but  we  were  informed  that  the 
ordination  did  not  take  place,  because  the  church  refused  to 
promise  any  salary  to  the  candidate.  The  evident  rudeness 
and  want  of  courtesy  in  the  people  whom  we  met,  differed 
widely  from  any  thing  which  we  had  before  observed  in  New 
England.  When  we  came  to  the  church,  we  found  a  con- 
course of  hearers  still  there,  and  could  liear  the  voice  of  a 
preacher,  witli  the  intonation  with  which  I  had  been  well 
acquainted  at  home.  But  going  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further, 
I  saw  what  I  had  never  known  to  take  ])lace  at  an  ordina- 
tion, namely,  a  horse-race,  in  a  field  adjoining  the  highway, 
ai\.J  hundreds  of  people  collected  for  the  sport. 

"In  passing  over  to  the  island,  I  began  for  the  first 
time  to  breathe  the  bracing  and  exhilarating  air  of  the  ocean. 


NEWPORT — DR.    PATTON.  227 

Its  effect  on  me  was  suddenly  and  sensibly  beneficial.  The 
first  day  I  spent  on  the  island  restored  me  to  vigorous 
health  ;  at  least  I  grew  better  from  that  time.  Mr.  Coffin, 
to  whom  I  resigned  myself,  took  me  to  the  house  of  the 
Rev,  Mr.  Pat  ton,  afterward  Dr.  Pat  ton,  one  of  the  meekest 
and  gentlest  men  I  ever  saw.  It  was  every  where  a  matter 
of  curiosity  to  hear  an  orthodox  man  from  Virginia,  which 
was  supposed  to  be  given  up  to  Deism.  Here  for  the  first 
time  I  entered  the  pulpit  in  a  gown  ;  and  it  sat  awkwardly 
upon  me,  for  Mr.  Patton  was  a  much  taller  man,  the  pulpit 
was  high,  and  the  stairs  steep,  so  that  in  mounting  I  be- 
came entangled  in  my  own  train.  I  found  that  Mr.  Patton 
had  fully  adopted  the  opinions  of  Dr.  Hopkins.  Against 
these,  as  he  informed  me,  he  was  much  prejudiced  at  first, 
but  had  been  brought  over  by  degrees,  since  which  time  his 
mind  had  been  completely  at  ease.  Coffin  had  been  some- 
what reserved  in  bringing  out  the  whole  system,  and  we  had 
disputed  so  much  on  the  way  as  to  several  points,  that  he 
did  not  consider  me  open  to  conviction.  P)Ut  Mr.  Patton 
considered  all  my  questions  in  the  most  candid  manner,  and 
admitted  all  the  legitimate  consequences  of  the  principles 
which  he  entertained.  In  particular,  he  admitted,  which 
was  unusual,  that  it  would  be  nowise  incompatible  with 
God's  holiness  and  goodness  to  create  beings  in  a  state  of 
total  depravity.  I  received  from  him  a  more  satisfactory 
acccvnt  than  I  had  obtained,  of  the  entire  system  of  Dr. 
Hopkins,  who  was  still  alive.  I  spent  a  day  with  him,  but 
he  was  now  about  eighty  years  of  age,  and  unable  to  enter 
much  into  abstruse  reasoning.     lie  seemed  perfectly  placid, 


228  BRISTOL. 

and  fully  l^signcd  to  the  will  of  God.  He  had  just  received 
a  volume  of  Scott's  Works,  in  which  the  extreme  opinions 
of  New  England  are  spoken  of  as  tending  to  Deism.  Dr. 
Hopkins,  in  the  calmest  manner,  undertook  to  show  that 
Scott  had  mistaken  his  meaning. 

"Dr.  Hopkins  had  nothing  assuming  or  dogmatical  in 
his  manner,  but  showed  a  childlike  simplicity  and  entire 
submission  to  the  will  of  God.  His  labours  as  a  pastor  were 
by  no  means  successful.  The  church  of  which  he  was  now, 
and  had  long  been  pastor,  was  at  this  time  in  a  very  feeble 
condition. 

"Having  preached  for  Mr.  Patton  in  the  morning,  I 
supplied  Dr.  Hopkins's  pulpit  in  the  afternoon.  There  was 
a  mere  handful  of  hearers,  and  when  the  psalm  was  given 
out,  it  appeared  that  there  was  no  one  to  lead  the  music, 
and  the  Doctor  directed  me  to  proceed  without  singing." 

From  Newport  the  travellers  made  their  way  to  Bristol, 
where  they  were  hospitably  received  by  the  clergyman. 
They  visited  Mount  Hope^  famous  for  its  prospect  and  for 
its  connection  with  the  history  of  King  Philip.  At  Provi- 
dence they  enjoyed  the  kind  attentions  of  Dr.  Hitchcock,  a 
Congregational  clergyman  of  what  were  called  liberal  views. 
They  received  much  kindness  from  Professor  Messer,  after- 
ward President  of  Brown  University. 

The  name  of  Dr.  Emmons  was  perhaps  as  extensively 
known  as  that  of  any  divine  in  New  England.  The  perspi- 
cuity, vigour  and  terseness  of  his  style,  the  ingenious  con- 
catenation of  his  arguments,  his  adventurous  boldness,  the 
startling  nature  of  his  conclusions,  and  the  increasing  num- 


DK.    EMMONS.  229 

ber  of  his  adherents,  made  him  a  master  not  to  be  de-. 
spised  or  overlooked.  ^'Franklin/'  says  our  narrative,  "the 
town  in  which  Dr.  Emmons  hved,  joined  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island.  Mr.  Coffin  was  desirous  that  [  should  see  this 
champion  of  the  new  divinity.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  had 
a  design  in  taking  me  to  this  venerable  theologian,  believing 
that  by  his  conversation  I  should  be  brought  over,  for  I  was 
already  quite  a  follower  of  Edwards.  Nor  had  I  the  least 
objection  to  receive  light  from  any  quarter.  We,  therefore, 
turned  aside  from  the  main  road,  and  came  to  the  Doctor's 
house  early  in  the  evening.  The  country  around  was  better 
cultivated  than  any  I  had  yet  seen  in  New  England,  and 
Dr.  Emmons  occupied  a  large  and  commodious  farm-house 
very  near  to  his  church.  I  found  him  to  be  rather  taciturn 
than  talkative.  He  did  indeed  make  many  and  earnest  in- 
quiries of  Mr.  Coffin  respecting  the  progress  of  the  new 
opinions  in  Tennessee,  whither  Dr.  Balch  had  carried  the 
seed  from  Massachusetts. 

"  Mr.  Coffin  proposed  to  me,  as  did  Dr.  Emmons,  to  re- 
main there  and  preach,  as  he  had  promised  to  supply  a 
vacancy  at  some  distance.  I  consented  without  hesitation  ; 
expecting,  however,  to  undergo  a  thorough  sifting,  and  per- 
haps to  be  under  a  moral  necessity  of  changing  my  creed. 
I  found  that  my  remaining  for  so  many  days  was  likely  to  be 
an  inconvenience  to  Mrs.  Emmons,  who  appeared  to  be  a 
discreet,  sensible  and  pious  woman.  But  on  the  first  day  of 
my  sojourn,  the  Doctor  took  me  to  a  monthly  meeting  of 
ministers  at  old  Mr.  Sandford's,  within  a  few  miles,  which, 
however,  h©  was  not  in  the  habit  of  attending,  as  he  did  not 


230  DR.    P^MMONS. 

belong  to  the  club.  A  dinner  was  always  provided,  afteJ 
which  there  was  a  sermon  in  the  church.  The  two  old  gen- 
tlemen had  long  been  neighbours,  but  did  not  agree  in  their 
views  either  of  doctrine  or  church  discipline  ;  but  they  were 
friendly  when  they  met.  And  as  the  Doctor  had  brought  a 
Virginia  preacher,  a  nondescript,  they  made  him  doubly 
welcome.  They  differed  even  more  in  politics  than  in  reli- 
gion ;  for  Mr.  Sandford  was  a  democrat  of  a  school  hitherto 
unknown  to  me,  holding  that  when  the  church  was  fully  es- 
tablished, there  would  be  no  need  of  civil  government.  On 
that  day  the  sermon  came  in  turn  to  be  preached  by  the 
Kev.  Mr.  Alexander,  of  Mendon,  a  man  of  some  learning. 
But  he  was  understood  to  have  gone  to  Boston,  and  it  was 
doubtful  whether  he  would  be  there.  It  was  therefore  put 
upon  me  to  preach,  and  Mr.  Sandford  took  me  up  stairs  into 
his  study,  and  left  me  to  make  such  preparation  as  I  needed 
In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Alexander  arrived,  having  ridden 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  in  a  very  hot  day.  To  his  inquiries 
as  to  what  arrangement  had  been  made  for  preaching,  Mr. 
Sandford  replied,  ^  We  certainly  expect  Mr.  Alexander  to 
preach.'  Mr.  A.  declared  it  to  be  out  of  the  question,  but 
Mr.  S.  continued  to  repeat,  '  We  expect  a  sermon  from  Mr. 
Alexander,  and  no  other.'  Thus  he  continued  the  hoax, 
until  the  bell  rang  for  public  service,  upon  which  I  descended 
and  was  formally  presented  as  the  Rev.  Mr.  Alexander  from 
Virginia.  I  never  saw  a  man  more  surprised  or  relieved. 
We  went  to  the  church,  and  found  a  respectable  number  foi 
a  week  day  and  a  busy  season.  At  that  time  I  used  no 
notes  in  the  pulpit,  l^iit  being  in  a  country  where  all  sermons 


DR.    EMMONS.  231 

were  read,  I  felt  it  to  be  incumbent  on  me  to  make  my  dis- 
courses as  methodical  and  accurate  as  I  could.  And  though 
I  never  could  commit  words  so  as  to  depend  on  my  memory, 
I.  had  long  accustomed  myself  to  follow  trains  of  thought, 
and  the  regular  array  of  an  argument.  I  took  as  a  text, 
'  He  that  hath  my  commandments  and  keepeth  them,  he  it 
is  that  loveth  me.'     I  undertook  to  show 

I.  The  foundation  of  love  to  Christ,  as  it  relates  both  to 

the  object  and  subject  of  the  affection. 

II.  The  properties  of  love  to  Christ ;  which  I  made  to  be 

1.  Sincerity. 

2.  Supremacy. 

3.  Constancy. 

III.  The  evidences  of  love  to  Christ ; 

1.  A  desire  of  pleasing,  and  fear  of  offending. 

2.  A  desire  of  conformity  to  his  character. 

3.  A  desire  of  communion,  and  sorrow  on  account 

of  absence. 

4.  A  desire  to  promote  his  glory,  and  sorrow  when  he 

is  dishonoured,  or  when  his  cause  declines. 

"  As  I  insisted  strongly  on  the  position  that  love  must  ter- 
minate on  the  true  character  of  the  object  beloved,  I  gave 
them  all  great  pleasure,  as  this  showed  that  I  did  not  hold 
to  the  selfish  scheme  of  virtue.  When  I  got  into  the  chaise 
with  the  old  Doctor,  he  made  me  quite  ashamed  with  his 
laudation,  and  assured  me  there  was  nothing  in  the  sermon 
which  he  did  not  approve. 

"  The  next  day  Dr.  Emmons  took  me  to  a  much  greatei 
distance,  to   a  weekly  lecture.     The   audience   was   small. 


232  DB.    EMMONS. 

My  text  was  Luke  xiv.  18,  ^  But  with  one  consent  they  all 
began  to  make  excuse.'  The  next  day,  being  the  Fourth 
of  July,  he  took  me  to  a  neighbouring  town,  where  an  ora- 
tion was  to  be  delivered  by  a  certain  Dr.  Manning,  who  had 
once  resided  in  Virginia.  The  Doctor  was  greatly  out  of  his 
element  at  this  meeting,  for  the  oration  was  rabidly  demo- 
cratic, and  the  people  assembled  were  generally  of  this  party. 

"  The  next  day  was  Saturday,  and  Dr.  E.  left  home  for 
the  place  of  his  appointment.  During  the  visit  he  never  at- 
tempted to  enter  into  any  controversy,  but  seemed  rather  to 
avoid  all  doctrinal  discussion.  He  had  a  young  man  study- 
ing with  him,  who  was  principally  occupied  in  writing  two 
discourses  for  the  Sabbath,  and  these,  according  to  the 
custom,  he  read  to  his  preceptor.  I  was  present  on  one  of 
these  occasions.  The  main  object  of  the  sermon  was  to 
prove  man's  dependence  on  God  for  every  thing,  including 
every  thought  and  emotion.  After  this  exercise,  the  young 
man,  whom  I  took  to  be  very  stupid,  propounded  to  the 
Doctor  this  question  :  If  man  is  dependent  for  all  thoughts 
and  feelings,  and  if  the  law  of  God  requires  him  to  be  holy, 
while  his  thoughts  are  sinful,  then  does  not  God  require  the 
creature  to  be  independent  ?  I  wondered  how  he  would  an- 
swer it,  when,  after  a  few  moments'  pause,  he  turned  to  me 
and  asked  me  how  I  should  reply  to  the  question.  I  begged 
to  be  excused  from  any  such  attemj^t,  and  so  the  matter 
went  off  without  an  explanation. 

"  In  person.  Dr.  Emmons  was  a  little  inclined  to  be  cor- 
pulent. His  hair  was  thin,  and  his  countenance  rather 
Qorid  than  pale.     His  knowledge  of  the  Southern  States  was 


DR.    EMMONS.  23.S 

imperlect.  He  had  just  published  a  sermon  on  the  character 
of  Jeroboam,  which  was  considered  excessively  severe  against 
Jefferson,  who  had  just  ascended  the  presidential  chair  ;  yet, 
as  far  as  I  could  judge,  he  cherished  no  malignity  against 
any  one,  on  religious  or  political  grounds/' 

We  insert  here,  for  the  sake  of  connection,  a  statement 
found  in  another  manuscript.  "  Old  Dr.  Emmons  once  said 
to  me,  in  defending  the  bands  and  cocked  hats  which  were 
then  used  in  New  England  ;  ''  Clergymen,  when  they  traA^el 
or  go  abroad,  should  have  some  badge  of  their  profession.  It 
preserves  them  from  many  unpleasant  rencounters,  and 
causes  them  to  remember  their  sacred  office.  For,'  added 
he,  ^  when  a  clergyman  thinks  that  he  is  not  recognised  as 
such,  he  is  very  apt  to  yield  to  unsuitable  compliances  ;  and 
often,  when  he  seeks  to  be  incognito,  he  is  known  to  all  the 
company.'     This  is  a  sage  remark."  "-'•■ 

In  the  frequent  mention  which  Dr.  Alexander  was  accus- 
tomed to  make  of  this  visit,  he  always  spoke  of  him  in  high 
terms  of  respect ;  while  he  entertained,  as  is  well  known, 
very  different  theological  opinions.  But  it  was  characteristic 
of  him  to  treat  with  great  liberality,  and  in  some  resjDCcts 
with  esteem  and  afiection,  those  whom  he  at  the  same  time 
regarded  as  seriously  erroneous.  In  the  next  chapter  we 
shall  take  up  his  narrative,  in  regard  to  Boston,  the  grand 
object  of  his  curiosity. 

*  MS.  Life  of  the  Rev.  William  Graham. 


CHAPTEK  TENTH. 

1801. 

WlfW    ENGLAND   JOURNEY    CONTINUED — BOSTON DR.    ECKLET — DR.    MORSE- 
HARVARD     COLLEGE IPSWICH DR.      DANA — NEWBURYPORT — EXETER 

DARTMOUTH    COLLEGE — DANIEL  WEBSTER — SHELBURNE DR.  PACKARD 

COMMENCEMENT    AT   PRINCETON PHILADELPHIA — RETURN    TO    THE    COL- 
LEGE. 

"T  OBSERVED  on  approaching  Boston/'  says  lie,  "that 
J-  few  persons  rode  on  horseback,  and  that  I  attracted  no 
little  attention,  having  my  valise,  overcoat  and  saddlebags, 
and  a  horse  very  different  in  form  from  those  of  New  Eng- 
land ;  for  he  was  of  English  blood,  and  had  been  a  racer  in 
his  time.  I  began  to  feel,  as  I  commonly  did  when  entering 
a  city,  a  certain  shyness,  which  led  me  to  avoid  the  most  fre- 
quented houses.  When,  therefore,  I  came  to  the  City  Hotel, 
and  observed  many  men  in  uniform,  and  some  with  epau- 
lettes, I  thought  I  would  ride  on  further,  and  find  a  quiet 
house.  But  after  proceeding  some  distance,  I  found  that  I 
had  gone  entirely  through  the  town,  and  was  on  the  way 
over  the  bridge  to  Cambridge.  Here,  however,  I  observed  a 
sign,  and  as  I  meant  only  to  leave  my  horse,  I  determined  to 
stop      And  indeed  I  found  a  quiet  house,  for  the  innkeeper 


BOSTON.  235 

put  my  horse  into  the  stable  himself,  and  I  saw  no  one  about 
tlie  premises.  I  felt  that  I  was  out  of  my  latitude,  and 
thought  it  was  too  late  to  present  my  letters.  For  Br. 
Burnet,  at  Norwalk,  had  kindly  given  me  an  introduction  to 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Eckley,  minister  of  the  Old  South.  The  next 
day  I  went  in  search  of  this  gentleman,  and  coming  to  a 
bookstore,  the  common  refuge  of  strangers  and  loiterers,  I  re- 
ceived the  necessary  directions  and  proceeded  to  deliver  my 
letter. 

^'  Dr.  Eckley  insisted  that  I  should  take  up  my  abode 
with  him,  saying  that  the  Rev.  Henry  Kollock  of  New 
Jersey  had  been  his  guest,  but  was  now  gone  to  Charles- 
town  to  spend  a  few  days  with  Dr.  Morse.  After  a  little 
time,  I  returned  to  my  hotel,  paid  my  bill,  and  mounted  my 
Rosinante,  which  I  proceeded  to  have  put  up  at  the  City 
Hotel.  The  Doctor  informed  me  that  it  was  the  evening 
for  the  Boston  Lecture,  a  series  of  discourses  preached  in 
turn  by  the  clergy  of  Boston  and  vicinity. 

"  Dr.  Eckley  was  one  of  a  class  I  had  never  known. 
He  was  refined,  possessing  great  sensibility,  punctiliously 
courteous,  and  talkative  on  all  subjects.  I  accompanied 
him  to  the  Thursday  lecture,  where  about  fifty  persons  were 
met,  and  where  old  Dr.  Howard  delivered  a  downright  Arian 
sermon  ;  not,  however,  in  a  controversial  way,  but  just  as  if 
all  agreed  with  him.  Indeed  at  that  time  all  controversy 
was  proscribed  by  the  liberal  party.  After  sermon  I  was 
presented  to  Dr.  Morse,  who  greeted  me  cordially,  and  in- 
vited me  to  Charlestown.  A  dozen  venerable  looking  clergy- 
men  were   present,    some   with  fuUbottomed    white    wigs. 


236  BOSTON    CLERGY. 

Henry  KoUock,  to  whom  I  was  next  introduced,  was  one  ot 
the  most  affectionate  men  I  have  ever  known  ;  his  heart 
seemed  to  he  for  ever  overflowing  with  kind  feehngs. 

"  Dr.  Morse  insisted  that  I  should  go  the  next  evening  and 
preach  at  his  lecture,  which  I  agreed  to  do,  hut  soon  repented, 
for  my  spirits  had  sunk  helow  par.  I  however  went,  and 
preached,  hut  was  much  disturbed  by  the  glare  of  the  lights  ; 
for  chandeliers  were  then  all  the  fashion.  I  did  as  well  as  I 
could,  using  no  notes  ;  the  fact  was  I  had  none  with  me. 
On  the  Sabbath  I  had  engaged  to  preach  for  Dr.  Eckley  in 
the  morning,  and  for  Dr.  Morse  in  the  afternoon.  Poor 
KoUock  was  almost  torn  to  pieces,  in  the  anxiety  to  secure 
his  pulpit  services,  which  were  something  new  in  Boston  ; 
for  in  composition  and  deliveiy  he  followed  the  French 
school,  and  having  an  impassioned  manner  produced  an  ex- 
traordinary impression  upon  his  audience.  He  divided  his 
labours  among  all  sorts.  Indeed  there  was  as  yet  no  public 
line  of  demarcation  among  the  clergy.  One  might  learn 
mth  ease  what  each  man  believed,  or  rather  did  not  believe, 
for  few  positive  opinions  were  expressed  by  the  liberal 
party.  Dr.  Kirkland  was  said  to  be  a  Socinian,  as  was  Mr. 
Popham  ;  and  Dr.  Howard  an  Arian.  Dr.  Eckley  had  pro- 
fessed to  be  an  Edwardean,  but  he  came  out,  after  my  visit, 
a  high  Arian.  Mr.  Eliot  was  an  Arian,  Mr.  Emerson  a 
Unitarian  of  some  sort,  and  Dr.  Lathrop  a  Universalist. 
Dr.  Freeman,  one  of  the  first  who  departed  from  orthodoxy, 
was  the  lowest  of  all,  a  mere  humanitarian.  He  still  used 
the  book  of  Common  Prayer,  altered  so  as  to  suit  his 
opiniona.     Dr    Morse  was   considered   a  rigid    Trinitarian. 


HARVARD.  237 

Dr.  Harris,  of  Dorchester,  was  reckoned  a  low  Arminian, 
and  became  a  thorough  Unitarian. 

"Harvard  College  was  not  yet  fully  under  Unitarian 
influence,  but  was  leaning  in  that  direction.  Piesident 
Willard  was  thought  to  hold  the  old  Puritan  doctrine,  but 
had  no  zeal  for  orthodoxy.  Dr.  Tappan,  professor  of  the- 
ology, was  in  his  writings  a  Calvinist  of  the  school  of  Watts 
and  Doddridge  ;  a  very  amiable  man,  of  prepossessing  man- 
ners. Dr.  Pierson  was  professor  of  Hebrew  ;  he  was  much 
opposed  to  Unitarianism,  but  did  not  possess  great  influence. 
All  were  for  making  little  of  doctrinal  difi'erences.  As  soon 
as  the  liberal  men  had  caused  this  to  be  settled  as  a  princi- 
ple, they  devised  a  way  to  introduce  the  ablest  Unitarians 
into  the  College,  as  fast  as  vacancies  occurred.  When  Dr. 
Willard  died,  Kirkland,  a  man  of  genhis  and  eloquence,  was 
put  into  his  place.  Even  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  aU  the 
young  men  of  talents  in  Harvard  were  Unitarians. 

"  Dr.  Morse  took  charge  of  me  for  the  most  part.  He 
conducted  me  to  the  Commencement,  and  introduced  me  as 
the  President  of  a  college  in  Virginia.  At  my  first  arrival, 
tiiere  was  a  laughable  mistake  about  this  presidency.  I  had 
never  intended  to  mention  my  connection  with  a  college, 
and  I  knew  that  Hampden  Sidney  was  perfectly  unknown. 
But  Cofiin  had  told  Dr.  Burnet  that  I  had  been  President 
of  Hampden  Sidney,  and  Burnet  in  introducing  me  to  Dr. 
Eckley,  had  written  it  Camden  Sidney.  This  letter.  Dr.  E. 
showed  to  Dr.  Morse,  and  the  American  geographer  was 
nonplussed  ;  he  had  never  heard  of  the  College.  There  was 
ao  way  to  clear  up  the  difliculty  but  by  applying  to  me. 


238  I>R.    DANA. 

But  by  this,  the  matter  was  little  mended,  for  Dr.  Morse  in 
his  Geography  had  represented  Hampden  Sidney  as  nearly 
extmct ;  my  honom*  as  a  President  was  not  therefore  very 
flattering.  All  titles  of  this  sort,  however,  go  for  much  in 
New  England,  and  I  was  often  placed  before  my  seniors  and 
betters.  I  was  invited  to  dine  with  the  professors  and  stu- 
dents, but  Dr.  Holmes,  the  author  of  the  Annals,  took  me 
to  his  house. 

"  I  preached  a  number  of  times  for  Dr.  Eckley  in  the 
Old  South,  and  two  or  three  times  for  Dr.  Morse,  in  Charles- 
town,  but  for  no  others.  The  principal  surprise  at  hearing 
me  preach  was,  that  I,  a  Virginian,  should  avow  such  doc- 
trine. A  certain  Judge  Peabody,  after  one  of  my  discourses, 
expressed  this  opinion,  adding  that  he  had  supposed  almost 
all  the  educated  Virginians  to  be  Deists. 

"  In  the  Old  South  Church  I  found  a  lingering  relic  of 
Whitefield's  times,  in  a  convert  of  his  day,  a  lady  between 
eighty  and  ninety  years  of  age,  who  belonged  to  a  prayer- 
meeting,  founded  then,  which  had  been  kept  up  weekly, 
until  within  a  few  years.  Of  this  she  was  now  the  only 
surviving  member.  The  celebrated  Samuel  Adams,  signer 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  a  member  of  the 
Old  South,  but  too  infirm  to  come  out.  Having  spent  a 
week  or  ten  days  in  Boston,  I  mounted  my  horse  and  went 
on  my  way  towards  Newburyport." 

At  Ipswich  he  found  Dr.  Dana,  father  of  the  present  ven- 
erable Dr.  Dana.  He  had  been  engaged  in  a  controversy  re- 
specting the  use  of  the  means  of  grace  ;  in  which  he  and 
Dr.  Tappan,  of  Cambridge,  were  the  leading  writers  on  one 


ROWLEY NEWBURYPORT.  239 

side,  against  Dr.  Spring  and  Dr.  Emmons  on  the  other.  We 
here  resume  the  fragment  of  autobiography  : 

"  I  preached  at  Rowley,  the  day  after  I  left  Ipswich, 
and  saw  Mrs.  Bradford  and  family.  It  is  pleasant  to  meet 
with  evidence  of  having  been  the  instrument  of  good  to  any 
one,  after  having  remained  in  ignorance  of  it  for  almost 
half  a  century.  The  sister  of  Dr.  Coggswell  informs  me 
that  she  was  present  at  that  sermon,  and  then  received 
her  first  religious  impressions.  Mr.  Bradford  had  been  in 
his  lifetime  a  zealous  advocate  for  the  new  opinions  in  the- 
ology, and  his  people  had  caught  the  itch  of  disputation. 
Two  of  them,  of  whom  one  was  a  deacon,  came  to  the  house 
where  I  was  entertained,  that  I  might  settle  a  metaphysical 
difference  which  they  had  been  discussing  for  some  time.  It 
was  whether  there  is  any  thing  in  the  mind  besides  exercises  ? 
I  found  it  very  difficult  to  comprehend  what  they  meant  ; 
for  at  that  time,  I  had  never  heard  of  what  is  called  the 
^Exercise  Scheme.'  It  occurred  to  me  however,  that  my 
best  course  was  to  get  them  into  the  dispute  before  me, 
which  I  did  by  asking  questions  of  one  and  the  other.  I 
was  greatly  amused  with  the  matter  and  manner  of  the  con- 
troversy, and  began  to  understand  the  subject  in  debate. 

"  The  next  day  I  went  into  Newbury  port.  My  letter 
directed  me  first  to  Dr.  Spring's  ;  but  when  I  came  to  the 
house,  I  found  them  under  a  great  and  sudden  affliction. 
The  next  clergyman  on  my  list  was  the  Rev.  Daniel  Dana, 
a  son  of  the  pastor  at  Ipswich.  He  was  about  my  own  age, 
and  received  me  kindly.  There  was  a  considerable  excite- 
ment in  the  town,  where  the  Free  Will  Baptists  had  just 


240  THEOLOGY. 

commenced  operations,  and  made  a  number  of  converts.  1 
was  informed  by  Mr.  Dana,  that  although  there  were  eight 
Congregational  churches,  no  two  ministers  agreed  in  their 
theological  system.  One,  an  Englishman,  was  an  old-fash- 
ioned Calvinist  ;  another,  a  disciple  of  Gill,  was  called  an 
Antinomian  ;  a  third  was  a  moderate  Calvinist  ;  a  fourth 
an  ultra  Hopkinsian ;  a  fifth  an  Arminian,  and  a  sixth  a 
high  Arian.  These  are  all  that  I  remember,  and  I  preached 
for  them  all.  Indeed,  they  kept  me  so  constantly  at  work 
that  I  broke  down  towards  the  last,  and  was  obliged  to  cease 
on  account  of  a  pain  in  my  breast.  In  consequence  of  the 
afiliction  in  Dr.  Spring's  family,  I  saw  but  little  of  him  ; 
otherwise  I  should  have  had  a  time  of  severe  sifting,  as  the 
Doctoi  was  accustomed  by  a  train  of  logical  reasoning,  to 
push  his  opponent  to  the  conclusion  to  which  he  wished  to 
bring  him." 

One  day  Mr.  A.  dined  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Coffin,  the 
father  of  his  late  travelling  companion.  A  clergyman  pres- 
ent (for  the  manuscript  leaves  it  obscure  whether  it  was 
Dr.  Coffin  or  another),  entered  into  discussion  with  him 
upon  the  reigning  topics  of  the  day,  and  supposed  him  to 
concede  that  that  which  renders  an  action  morally  good,  is 
its  tendency  to  produce  the  greatest  amount  of  happiness. 
"  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  believe  it.  I  maintained  that 
holiness  has  an  intrinsic  excellence,  distinct  from  its  ten- 
dency to  promote  happiness,  an  excellence  greater  than  that 
of  happiness  itself  I  added  that  the  animal  creation  has  a 
constitution  which  renders  them  susceptible  of  happiness, 
and  yet  that  constitution  is  not  moral ;  that  many  inanimate 


EXETER.  241 

things  have  a  tendency  to  produce  happiness,  which  never- 
theless does  not  stamp  them  with  the  character  of  virtue. 
He  looked  me  full  in  the  face  and  said,  '  Where  were  you 
educated  ?  '  I  replied  that  what  little  education  I  possessed 
was  obtained  among  the  wild  mountains  of  Virginia.'' 

Leaving  Newburyport,  he  journeyed  towards  Exeter.  A 
trait  of  the  times  is  not  without  entertainment.  "  On  the 
way,"  says  he,  "  I  was  overtaken  by  a  man  on  horseback, 
whom  I  immediately  knew  to  be  a  clergyman,  by  the  three 
cornered  hat  which  all  country  ministers  still  wore,  when 
they  appeared  in  public.  Dr.  Eckley  told  me  that  even  in 
Boston,  when  he  visited  the  older  people,  he  was  obliged  to 
put  on  the  cocked  hat,  as  they  considered  the  round  hat  toe 
^  buckish '  for  a  clergyman.  The  stranger  informed  me  that 
he  had  been  out  '  candidating,'  that  is,  preaching  as  a  candi- 
date iu  a  vacant  church.  Before  we  reached  Exeter,  he  turned 
aside  to  visit  a  rich  old  farmer,  and  to  fill  his  saddle-bags 
with  cucumbers  from  the  garden.  In  those  days,  a  pastor 
in  New  England  w^ho  had  been  dismissed  from  his  people 
was  in  a  situation  little  better  than  if  deposed.  Poor  Mr. 
M.  N.  lived  in  a  dilapidated  house,  where  I  visited  him, 
and  where  there  seemed  to  be  no  supj^lies  but  the  cucumbers 
and  some  rusty  bacon.  I  greatly  commiserated  his  condi- 
tion ;  for  he  was  a  man  of  learning,  and  his  wife  was  a  well- 
educated  and  refined  woman,  of  great  simplicity. 

''  The  Phillips  Academy,  at  Exeter,  was  the  most  cele- 
brated  institution  of  the   kiud    in  New  England.      After 
spending  a  week  in  Exeter,  Mr.  Rowland,  the  pastor,  ac- 
companied me  to  Portsmouth.       I    preached    here    several 
17 


242  FATHER    OF    WEBSTER. 

times  (for  Dr.  Buckminster)  in  the  week-evenings,  and  tc 
full  houses.  I  found  the  Doctor  an  exceedingly  agreeable 
man  ;  well-informed  if  not  learned,  orthodox,  without  any 
ultraisms,  but  not  abounding  in  zeal.  He  introduced  me  tc 
his  son,  who  had  been  graduated  at  the  late  Commencement, 
and  was  the  imde  of  Harvard.  He  was  full  of  anecdotes, 
such  as  were  current  at  Cambridge,  and  which  were  mostly 
intended  to  ridicule  evangelical  opinions." 

From  Exeter  he  directed  his  course  toward  the  mountains 
of  New  Hampshire,  and  was  soon  in  the  midst  of  romantic 
scenery,  which  revived  the  associations  of  his  youth.  This  is 
a  proper  place  to  insert  some  paragraphs  from  a  publication 
made  by  Dr.  Alexander  in  the  year  1850,  which  derives  ad- 
ditional interest  from  the  recent  death  of  our  great  states- 
man, since  these  pages  were  commenced. 

"  At  Harvard,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  introduced  to 
President  Willard,  Professors  Tappan,  Pearson,  and  others. 
I  was  also  able  to  attend  the  commencement  at  Dartmouth 
College.  In  passing  from  Massachusetts  over  the  mountains 
of  New  Hampshire,  I  lodged  within  a  few  rods  of  the  house 
of  a  farmer,  the  father  of  the  Honourable  Daniel  Webster. 
The  old  gentleman  came  over  to  the  tavern  in  the  morning, 
and  chatted  for  half  an  hour.  Among  other  things  he  said 
that  he  had  a  son  at  Dartmouth,  who  was  about  to  take  his 
bachelor's  degree.  The  father  was  large  in  frame,  high- 
breasted  and  broad-shouldered,  and,  like  his  son,  had  heavy 
eyebrows.  He  was  an  affable  man,  of  sound  sense  and  con- 
siderable information,  and  expressed  a  wish  that  I  might  be 
acquainted  with  his  son,  of  whom  it  was  easy  to  see  that  he 
was  proud. 


COMMENCEMENT.  243 

"  Arriving  dt  Hanover,  the  seat  of  the  College,  a  day  or 
two  before  the  commencement,  I  put  up  my  horse  and  se- 
cured a  room  at  one  of  the  two  public  houses.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  commencement  I  presented  my  letters  to  President 
Wheelock,  and  was  received  with  a  profusion  of  ceremonious 
inclinations  ;  for  it  was  pleasantly  said  that  the  President 
suffered  no  man  to  have  the  last  bow.  This,  it  was  reported, 
was  put  to  the  test  by  a  person  of  some  assurance,  who 
undertook  to  compete  with  him  in  the  contest  of  politeness. 
He  accordingly  took  his  leave,  bowed  himself  out  of  the  man- 
sion, and  continued  to  bow  as  long  as  he  was  upon  the  premie 
ses  ;  but  the  President  followed  him  to  the  gate,  and  re- 
mained in  possession  of  the  field.  Dr.  Wheelock'was  a  man 
of  learning,  especially  in  the  department  of  history.  It  was 
said  that  he  had  a  great  historical  work  in  preparation,  Vat 
none  such  ever  appeared. 

"  When  I  afterwards  returned  to  the  tavern,  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  the  whole  house  filled  with  a  strange  and  mot- 
ley multitude.  My  own  room  was  occupied  by  a  company  of 
gamblers,  and  the  usual  circle  of  lookers-on.  I  loudly  as- 
serted my  claim  to  the  room,  threw  myself  on  my  reserved 
rights,  and  made  appeal  to  the  host.  He  declared  himself 
unable  to  turn  the  people  out  ;  the  Green  Mountain  Boys 
appeared  to  be  good-natured,  but  perfectly  impracticable. 
At  this  juncture  I  began  to  consider  my  situation  quite  de- 
plorable, when  relief  came  from  an  unexpected  quarter.  A 
note  was  delivered  to  me  from  a  gentleman  of  the  village, 
inviting  me  to  become  his  guest  ;  by  singular  resolution  he 
lad  kept  exclusive  possession  of  his  house,  the  only  one  in 


244  DANIEL    WEBSTER. 

Hanover  exempt  from  invasion.  I  found  ample  room  and 
hospitality.  It  appeared  that  a  letter  from  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts, had  named  me  to  this  worthy  friend,  as  a  clergy- 
man of  Virginia,  making  a  first  journey  through  New  Eng- 
land. In  this  house  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  only 
other  guest,  the  Reverend  Theophilus  Packard,  now  Doctor 
Packard  ;  whom  I  accompanied  to  his  home  in  Shelburne, 
and  there  spent  a  very  happy,  and  as  I  think,  profitable 
fortnight. 

"  At  the  Dartmouth  commencement.  General  Eaton,  of 
eccentric  memory,  was  marshal  of  the  day,  and  was  unceasing 
in  busying  himself  about  the  order  of  the  procession  to  the 
church  ;  giving  each  graduate,  of  every  college,  the  place 
due  to  his  seniority.  Among  the  speakers  was  young  Daniel 
Webster.  Little  dreaming  of  his  future  career  in  law,  elo 
quence  and  statesmanship,  he  pronounced  a  discourse  on  the 
recent  discoveries  in  Chemistry,  especially  those  of  Lavoi- 
sier, then  newly  made  public." 

As  the  introduction  of  this  extract  has  carried  us  a  little 
further  forward  than  we  intended,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
go  back  and  glance  at  a  few  incidents  of  the  road  to  Han- 
over. 

"  The  tavern  belonged  to  Capt.  Webster,  though  he 
lived  in  a  large  house  a  few  rods  distant.  The  morning  that 
Lwas  to  set  out  to  cross  the  mountains,  two  clergymen 
drove  up,  both  alumni  of  Dartmouth,  and  on  their  way  to 
the  Commencement.  One  of  these  was  Mr.  (now  the  Rev. 
Dr.)  Gillett,  of  Hallowell,  in  Maine.  They  were  in  a  chaise 
and  I  was  on  horseback,  but  they  were  very  wiUing;  to  make 


FURTHER   TRAVELS.  245 

frequent  exchanges.  Mr.  Gillett  was  an  adept  in  meta- 
physical discussion,  and  we  were  often  in  danger  of  upsetting 
the  chaise  among  the  rocks,  from  being  so  intent  on  our  dis- 
cussion. The  other  clergyman  held  the  same  opinions,  but 
had  little  of  his  companion's  acuteness. 

"  On  the  side  of  a  mountain,  for  we  had  many  to  cross, 
we  came  to  a  house  early  in  the  afternoon,  which  was  the 
only  place  for  a  great  distance  where  we  could  obtain  lodg- 
ings ;  here,  therefore,  we  determined  to  remain  over  night. 
On  conversing  with  the  woman  of  the  house,  I  found  that 
she  had  recently  obtained  experience  of  religion,  though  she 
had  heard  no  preaching.  Her  eldest  son  had  gone  out  into 
the  forest  to  cut  some  fire-wood,  when  the  limb  6f  a  tree  fell 
on  his  head  and  broke  his  skull.  He  was  brought  home  dead. 
For  a  fortnight  the  mother  wept  day  and  night,  and  was  in- 
consolable. At  length  it  came  strongly  into  her  mind  that 
there  was  no  use  in  grieving  for  the  child,  but  that  she  had 
great  cause  to  grieve  for  her  sins.  From  this  time  she  began 
to  experience  a  change  in  her  feelings.  She  ceased  to  mourn 
for  her  loss,  and  sorrowed  for  her  guilt,  until  God  manifested 
himself  as  reconciled  through  Jesus  Christ.  As  the  people 
living  on  the  mountain  were  entirely  destitute  of  preaching, 
we  proposed  to  have  the  neighbours  collected  in  the  evening  ; 
when  Mr.  Gillett  preached  to  them  on  the  doctrine  of 
Election. 

"  Next  day  we  took  the  road  to  Enfield,  a  Shaker  village, 
as  we  were  all  desirous  to  see  and  converse  with  this  strange 
people.  We  arrived  about  noon,  and  found  all  the  shops 
closed,  as  the  men  were  out  clearing  new  ground  ;  with  the 


246  SHELBURNE. 

exception  of  the  Elders,  who  never  put  their  hands  to  any 
labour." 

It  is  a  fact  not  generally  known,  that  shortly  after  his 
return  home,  and  through  the  influence  of  Judge  Niles,  Mr. 
Alexander  received  the  appointment  of  Phillips  Professor  of 
Theology  in  Dartmouth  College.  The  Look  of  the  Trustees 
shows  that  this  election  took  place  at  the  Annual  Meeting 
in  August,  1802.  From  Hanover  he  went  to  Shelburne, 
upon  an  invitation  of  the  Eev.  Mr.  Packard,  afterwards  Dr. 
Packard.  "  1  was  the  more  willing  to  do  this,"  he  writes, 
^^as  Mr.  P.  had  just  received  a  letter  from  home,  informing 
him  that  a  revival  had  commenced  in  one  part  of  his  parish. 
At  Westminster,  we  found,  very  appropriately,  an  Assembly 
of  Divines.  The  Congregational  ministers  of  New  Hamp- 
shire were  met  in  G-eneral  Association.  During  my  stay  of 
a  fortnight  with  my  friend  Packard,  he  never  preached  once 
in  his  own  church.  Besides  the  services  of  the  Sabbath,  we 
had  meetings  on  week  days  in  several  parts  of  the  congrega- 
tion. We  also  visited  from  house  to  house,  where  there  were 
any  under  serieus  impressions.  One  thing  in  the  exercises 
and  conduct  of  the  awakened  surprised  me.  They  sat  still 
and  believed  it  improper  to  pray  or  use  any  means  except 
hearing,  until  they  received  the  gift  of  a  new  heart.  I 
preached  as  usual,  and  exhorted  inquirers  to  pray,  read,  &c. 
Two  cases  among  the  awakened  I  must  mention,  because 
they  were  brought  to  my  remembrance  many  years  after- 
ward, in  a  very  pleasing  way.  At  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Fisk, 
we  found  his  wife  and  daughter  in  the  deepest  distress,  yet 
using  no  means,  but  sitting  still  and  waiting  for  the  convert- 


REVIVAL.  247 

ing  influences  of  the  Spirit.  Both  were  convinced  of  their  lost 
estate  and  utter  helplessness,  taking  all  the  blame  to  them- 
selves. The  next  day,  as  the  assembly  could  not  be  accom- 
modated within,  I  preached  in  an  orchard.  Before  I  beo^an 
I  perceived  Mrs.  Fisk  walking  briskly  towards  the  table  on 
which  I  stood,  and  the  first  glance  I  had  of  her  countenance 
assured  me  that  her  feelings  had  undergone  a  change.  I 
intimated  this  to  Mr.  Packard,  who  immediately  after  the 
service  spoke  to  her  and  found  that  she  was  full  of  joy  and 
love.  Many  years  after  this,  the  Kev.  Pliny  Fisk,  the 
missionary  to  Palestine,  called  upon  me,  telling  me  that  he 
came  at  the  request  of  his  mother,  who  had  enjoined  it  upon 
him,  if  he  ever  should  be  within  fifty  miles  of  me,  to  make 
himself  known  as  a  son  of  the  woman  who  was  converted 
while  I  was  in  Shelburne. 

"  On  another  day  we  stopped  at  the  house  of  an  old  man, 
also  named  Fisk,  who  had  a  son  with  a  large  family  living  in 
the  same  house  with  him.  One  of  the  children,  about  nine 
or  ten  years  of  age,  was  under  serious  impressions,  and  was 
called  up  for  us  to  converse  with  him.  After  a  longer  period 
than  the  one  above  mentioned,  and  long  after  I  had  known 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Ezra  Fisk,  of  Goshen,  he  one  day  asked  me  if 
I  remembered  talking  with  a  boy  in  Shelburne,  describing 
the  circumstances.  And  on  my  replying  that  I  did,  he  said, 
*  I  am  that  boy.'  Harvey  Fisk,  once  my  pupil,  and  after- 
wards much  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  American  Sunday 
School  Union,  informed  me  that  another  person  by  the  name 
of  Fisk,  who  became  a  minister  and  was  eminent  for  hia 
piety,  dated  his  conversion  from  the  same  revival. 


248  NEW    TORE NEW   JERSEY. 

"  The  people  of  Shelburnc  seemed  reluctant  to  part  with 
me.  The  pastor  and  a  number  of  others  accompanied  me 
to  Conway,  the  next  town,  where  I  was  to  preach  for  old  Mr. 
Emerson,  who  had  been  unable  to  walk  for  many  months. 
He  was  a  meek  and  pious  man,  of  the  old  school  of  Puritans, 
and  an  uncle  of  the  Emerson  of  Boston,  who  became  a 
Unitarian.  He  told  me  that  the  father  of  the  latter  was  a 
pious  and  orthodox  man  ;  and  that  when  he  had  reminded 
his  nephew  of  this,  the  reply  was,  that  if  his  father  had 
lived  to  this  time,  he  would  in  like  manner  have  changed  his 
opinions.  Here  I  found  many  sincere  and  benevolent  per- 
sons ;  but  I  could  observe  that  I  was  no  longer  under  the 
cloud  which  showered  its  blessings  over  Shelburne.  Leaving 
the  higher  parts  of  Massachusetts,  I  descended  to  the  valley 
of  the  Connecticut,  and  soon  found  myself  in  Northampton, 
the  town  made  memorable  by  President  Edwards.  At  Hat- 
field I  called  on  Dr.  Lyman,  whom  I  had  seen  before."'  At 
Hartford  he  again  visited  Dr.  Strong,  who  engaged  him  to 
write  for  the  Connecticut  Magazine.  At  his  request.  Dr. 
Greorge  Baxter  contributed  to  this  work  an  account  of  the 
great  revival  in  the  South.  By  easy  stages  he  continued 
his  homeward  way,  through  New  Haven  and  the  towns  upon 
the  Sound  to  the  city  of  New- York.  Here  he  preached  on 
a  Lord's  Day  evening  in  the  Brick  Church,  for  Dr.  Rodgers. 
The  next  day  was  partly  spent  at  Newark,  with  the  venera- 
ble Dr.  McWhorter,  after  which  he  proceeded  to  Elizabeth- 
town,  and  visited  the  Rev.  Henry  Kollock,  at  the  house  of 
his  father.  It  was  a  favourite  plan  of  Mr.  Kollock  to  have 
his  friend  settled  in  the  congregation  of  Orange,  but  the 
steps  taken  by  him  were  unsuccessful. 


COMMENCEMENT    AT   PKINCETON.  249 

Princeton  was  visited  in  the  return,  and  the  following 
narrative,  which  has  been  already  printed,  is  here  in  place. 

"  Princeton  was  taken  in  my  journey  homeward.  In  this 
town,  likewise,  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  find  a  place  to  lay 
my  head,  so  great  was  the  concourse  of  strangers.  But  my 
friend  Mr.  Henry  Kollock,  afterwards  distinguished  as  a 
preacher,  and  who  had  recently  been  a  tutor  in  the  college, 
kindly  introduced  me  to  the  house  of  old  Mrs.  Knox,  where 
the  students  of  divinity  had  their  abode. 

"  The  appearance  of  the  Trustees  and  Professors  struck 
me  with  awe.  I  seriously  question  whether  such  a  body  of 
men,  for  dignity  and  importance,  as  then  composed  the 
Board  could  have  been  found  in  any  part  of  the  country.  I 
need  only  name  Dr.  McWhorter,  Elias  Boudinot,  LL.  D., 
John  Bayard,  Esq.,  Dr.  John  Woodhull,  the  Hon.  William 
Paterson,  Dr.  Green,  the  Kev.  James  F.  Armstrong,  the 
Hon.  Richard  Stockton,  Governor  Bloomfield,  and  Judge 
Wallace.  The  class  then  commencing  Bachelors  of  Arts 
included  the  late  Mr.  Biddle,  Mr.  Piobert  Goodloe  Harper, 
the  Bev.  Andrew  Thompson,  Mr.  Henry  E.  Watkins,  Pro- 
fessor Cook  of  Kentucky,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnson  of  Newburgh, 
and  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  McDowell  of  Philadelphia. 

"  The  President,  Dr.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith,  I  had  met 
in  Philadelphia,  six  or  seven  years  before  ;  and  certainly, 
viewing  him  as  in  his  meridian,  I  have  never  seen  his  equal 
in  elegance  of  person  and  manners.  Dignity  and  winning 
grace  were  remarkably  united  in  his  expressive  countenance. 
His  large  blue  eye  had  a  penetration  which  commanded  the 
respect    of    all   beholders.     Notwithstanding  the   want   of 


250  COLLEGE  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

health,  his  cheek  had  a  bright  rosy  tint,  and  his  smile 
lighted  up  the  whole  face.  The  tones  of  his  elocution  had  a 
thrilling  peculiarity,  and  this  was  more  remarkable  in  his 
preaching,  where  it  is  well  known  that  he  imitated  the 
elaborate  polish  and  oratorical  glow  of  the  French  school. 
Little  of  this  impression  can  be  derived  from  his  published 
discourses,  which  disappoint  those  who  do  not  know  the 
charm  of  his  delivery. 

"  On  this  occasion  Dr.  Smith  appeared  to  great  advan- 
tage, for  though  he  had  passed  his  acme,  he  was  erect  and 
full  of  spirits.  The  forn\ality  used  in  the  collation  of  de- 
grees does  not  appear  to  be  of  much  importance,  but  with 
the  sonorous  voice  and  imposing  mien  of  President  Smith,  it 
added  dignity  to  the  scene,  and  left  an  indelible  impression. 

"  The  College  of  New  Jersey  at  that  time  contained  some 
young  men  w^ho  were  far  f^bove  the  ordinary  level  of  attain- 
ments ;  distinguished  for,  a  high  sense  of  honour,  which  pre- 
served them  from  the  despicable  courses  in  which  misguided 
youth  sometimes  seek  distinction.  It  was  gratifying  to  ob- 
serve, that  these  young  men  were  the  favourites  of  the  Pre- 
sident, and  that,  in  their  turn,  they  were  strongly  attached 
to  him.  Some  of  them  still  live,  to  reflect  honour  on  their 
Alma  Mater  ;  but  I  will  not  name  those  who  occur  to  me, 
lest  I  do  an  unintentional  injustice  to  the  rest.  Some,  alas, 
are  extinct  ;  but  some  may  be  found  shining  as  stars,  with 
a  mild  but  brilliant  lustre,  in  the  civil  as  well  as  the  ecclesi- 
astical firmament. 

"  Doctor  John  Maclean,  a  native  of  Scotland,  after  pur- 
suing the  path  of  science  with  indefatigable  zeal,  so  far  as  it 


PROFESSOR    MACLEAK.  251 

was  open  to  him  in  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow,  visited  France, 
that  he  might  avail  himself  of  the  increased  facilities  afforded 
for  physical  researches  in  the  schools  of  Paris.  After  accom- 
plishing this  purpose.  Dr.  Maclean  emigrated  to  America, 
in  1795,  and  became  one  of  the  most  pojDular  professors  who 
ever  graced  the  college.  He  was  at  home  almost  equally  in 
all  branches  of  science  ;  Chemistry,  Natural  History,  Ma- 
thematics and  Natural  Philosophy,  successively  claimed  his 
attention.  It  is  believed  that  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  re- 
produce in  America  the  views  of  the  new  French  school  in 
Chemistry  :  on  this  subject  he  waged  a  successful  war  with 
Dr.  Priestley,  the  great  champion  for  phlogiston.  No  one 
could  attend  a  commencement  at  Princeton,  without  perceiv- 
ing that  Professor  Maclean  was,  as  it  were,  the  soul  of  the 
faculty.  He  enjoyed  the  attachment  of  all  the  students, 
unless  perhaps  some  of  the  idle  and  abandoned  ;  it  is  these 
who,  in  all  colleges,  display  the  opposite  temper. 

"  At  the  time  of  my  visit.  Dr.  Maclean  was  in  the  prime 
of  life,  a  gentleman  of  fine  appearance,  polished  manners, 
and  a  disposition  remarkable  for  kindness  and  cordiality.  He 
is  now  remembered,  as  the  students'  friend,  with  sincere  and 
tender  attachment,  by  many  of  his*,  surviving  pupils.  It  is 
no  part  of  these  paragraphs,  to  follow  any  of  the  persons 
named  into  their  subsequent  life,  but  only  to  note  these  inci- 
dents of  a  day  which  was  full  of  interest.  After  the  other 
honorary  degrees  had  been  announced,  the  Trustees,  by  a 
consultation  at  the  moment  on  the  stage,  agreed  to  confer 
on  the  writer  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  ;  an  act,  which, 
it   seems,  was   never  entered   on   their   minutes  ;    and   in 


252  RETURN    TO    VIRGINIA. 

the  evening  he  was  initiated  into  the  American  Whig 
Society."'-'  On  this  occasion  he  was  accompanied  to  Prince- 
ton by  Mr.  Kollock,  and  Mr.  Beasley,  afterwards  Provost  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

In  Philadelphia  he  preached  for  Dr.  Linn,  whose  health 
was  impaired.  In  Baltimore  he  stopped  with  his  old  pre- 
ceptor. Dr.  Priestley,  already  mentioned  in  these  pages.  He 
was  further  detained  to  supply  the  pulpit  of  Dr.  Alison,  who 
had  sunk  into  a  melancholy  state.  The  impression  made  by 
these  services,  as  will  presently  appear,  was  such  as  made  it 
likely  for  a  while  that  his  lot  might  be  cast  in  Baltimore  ; 
and  the  remembrance  of  them  was  long  cherished  in  that 
city.  After  this  he  hastened  to  Hopewell,  where  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  his  approaching  marriage. 

In  the  retrospect  of  this  tour,  he  was  accustomed  to 
speak  of.  it  as  one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  instructive  por- 
tions of  his  life.  That  part  of  it  which  brought  him  into 
acquaintance  with  Hew  England,  its  clergy,  its  manners  and 
its  revivals,  he  always  recurred  to  with  pleasure.  To  this 
may  be  traced  the  remarkable  absence  of  all  prejudice  and 
rancour  which  marked  his  feelings  and  language  towards  the 
churches  of  that  land.  ,  Of  their  hospitality  he  used  to 
speak  in  warm  terms,  and  as  to  the  inquisitiveness  which  he 
had  been  taught  to  expect  from  the  people,  he  declared  it  to 
be  less  than  he  had  encountered  in  his  native  State.  And 
although  he  spent  but  a  few  months  in  that  region,  the  mode 
of  travelling  which  he  employed,  and  the  intimate  relations 

*  Princeton  Magazine,  1860. 


CALL    TO    BALTIMORE.  253 

he  sustained  to  ministers  and  private  families,  afforded  far 
better  opportunity  for  observation  than  a  much  longer  time, 
passed  in  the  modern  methods  of  speedy  transit,  and  sojourn 
at  places  of  public  entertainment.  In  moments  of  relaxa- 
tion at  the  fireside,  his  fund  of  anecdote  concerning  this  tour 
wa§  inexhaustible  ;  and  he  loved  to  recall  these  scenes  on 
occasions  when  he  was  visited  by  friends  from  that  part  of 
the  country. 

His  return  to  Prince  Edward  and  to  the  College  was 
hailed  with  much  cordiality,  and  the  old  president's  house 
was  put  into  repair,  in  expectation  of  his  new  relations. 
During  the  winter  of  1801-2,  he  spent  most  of  his  time 
in  Charlotte,  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  Major  Read. 
His  preaching  labours  were  abundant,  and  were  attended 
with  some  success. 

In  the  year  1801,  on  his  return  from  New  England,  he 
passed  a  night,  as  has  been  said,  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Priestly, 
who  was  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  First  Church  in  Balti- 
more. As  Dr.  Alison,  the  pastor,  was  then  in  feeble  health, 
Mr.  Alexander,  somewhat  reluctantly,  consented  to  remain 
and  preach,  as  there  was  but  one  intervening  day  before  the 
Sabbath.  Early  on  Monday  morning  he  proceeded  on  his 
journey,  but  having  acquaintances  in  Alexandria  he  stopped 
there,  and  found  the  Presbytery  of  Baltimore  in  session ; 
before  whom  he  preached  at  their  request.  Before  he  left 
the  place,  letters  were  received  both  by  himself  and  Dr. 
Muir,  requesting  him  to  return  to  Baltimore  and  preach 
for  several  weeks.     At  the  urgent  request  of  Dr.  Muir  and 


254  CALL    TO   BALTIMORE. 

other  clergymen,  he  complied.  The  result  was,  that  aftei 
his  arrival  at  home  he  received  a  call  to  be  tho  pastor  of 
that  church. 


CHAPTER  ELEVENTH. 
1802—1806, 

MAERIAGE — COLLEGE  LABOURS — PEEAOHING CALL  TO  PHILADELPHIA — SET- 
TLEMENT    IN     PINE-STREET      CHURCH LABOURS      IN      PHILADELPHIA 

EVANGELICAL  SOCIETY — ^ASSOCIATES — STUDIES — ^PROGRESS. 

ON  the  fifth  day  of  April,  1802,  he  was  married  to 
Janetta  Waddel,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Waddel  of 
the  county  of  Louisa.  It  may  he  safely  said  that  no  man 
was  ever  more  blessed  in  such  a  connection.  If  the  un- 
common beauty  and  artless  grace  of  this  lady  were  strong 
attractions  in  the  days  of  youth,  there  were  higher  qualities 
which  made  the  union  inexpressibly  felicitous  during  almost 
half  a  century.  For  domestic  wisdom,  self-sacrificing  afiec- 
tion,  humble  piety,  industry,  inexhaustible  stores  of  vivacious 
conversation,  hospitality  to  his  friends,  sympathy  with  his 
cares,  and  love  to  their  children,  she  was  such  a  gift  as  God 
bestows  only  on  the  most  favoured.  While  during  a  large 
part  of  middle  life  he  was  subject  to  a  variety  of  maladies, 
she  was  preserved  in  unbroken  health.  When  his  spirits 
flagged,  she  was  always  prompt  and  skilful  to  cheer  and 


256 


LABOUKS    IN    VIRGINIA. 


comfort.  And  as  his  days  were  filled  with  spiritual  and 
literary  toils,  she  reUeved  him  from  the  whole  charge  of 
domestic  affairs.  Without  the  show  of  any  conjugal  bland- 
ishments, there  was  through  life  a  perfect  coincidence  of 
views,  and  a  respectful  affection  which  may  be  recommended 
as  a  model.  It  pleased  God  to  spare  to  him  this  faithful 
ministry  of  revering  love  to  the  very  last,  and  when  the 
earthly  tie  was  broken  to  make  the  separation  short. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1802,  he  removed  to  Hampden 
Sidney,  and  resumed  his  charge  of  the  college.  Mr.  Kice 
•was  still  his  principal  coadjutor,  as  Mr.  Speece  had  removed 
to  a  pastoral  charge  in  Maryland.  Of  the  ensuing  years  we 
have  slender  records.  Their  colour  was  probably  not  very 
different  from  those  which  have  been  noticed.  Besides  the 
perpetual  demand  for  pulpit  labours,  in  a  region  where  to 
this  day  ministers  travel  far  to  preach  the  Word,  there  was 
a  necessity  for  unwearied  application  to  the  difficult  branches 
of  public  instruction.  His  field  of  knowledge  was  enlarging 
its  limits,  and  his  opinions  on  all  subjects  were  taking  their 
settled  forms.  Having  resided  in  the  same  region  many  years 
since,  we  can  testify  that  his  reputation  as  a  preacher  was 
extraordinary.  Making  all  the  abatements  which  may  be 
needful,  it  must  still  be  acknowledged  that  for  vigour,  anima- 
tion and  charm  of  delivery,  his  efforts  at  this  time  were  sur- 
passed ])y  none  during  his  whole  career.  His  health  had  been 
invigorated,  he  had  acquired  a  confidence  which  had  been 
wanting  in  his  earlier  efforts,  his  person  was  attractive,  and 
the  vehemence  and  decoration  of  discourse  were  greater  than 
in  later  years. 

18 


KENTUCKY    REVIVAL.  257 

The  letters  of  this  time  which  remain  are  few  indeed  ; 
which  enhances  the  value  of  that  which  follows,  short  as  it  is 


MR.    ALEXANDER   TO    MRS.    GRAHAM. 

"Hampden  Sidney  July  19,  1803. 

^*  Dear  Sister  : — 

"  By  John  Chavis  I  received  yours,  and  pass  ovei 
all  the  rest  to  answer  that  part  in  which  you  express  some 
uneasiness  at  my  entertaining  doubts  respecting  the  genuine- 
ness of  the  Kentucky  revival. 

"  In  answer,  I  observe,  that  I  have  never  at  any  time 
expressed  such  doubts,  though  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
I  have  said  what  some  would  suppose  to  indicate  such  a  state^ 
of  mind.  I  have  not  doubted  that  much  good  has  been 
done  in  that  country,  and  that  a  considerable  number  have 
experienced  true  religion.  All  these  effects  I  attribute 
without  hesitation  to  God.  And  in  j)roportion  as  I  obtain 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  such  effects,  I  am  confirmed  in 
the  opinion  that  the  Spirit  of  God  has  been  poured  out. 
But  I  have  supposed,  and  now  think,  that  those  extraordi- 
nary bodily  appearances  furnish  no  evidence  of  a  saving 
operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  I  should  not  be  able  to  ac- 
count for  them  upon  common  and  natural  principles,  I  yet 
have  no  right  to  ascribe  them  to  the  immediate  agency  of 
divine  power,  unless  they  are  among  effects  promised  to  be 
produced.  If  no  stress  be  laid  on  them,  I  have  nothing  to 
say  in  relation  to  them.  If  they  furnish  no  evidence  in 
favour  of  a  work  being  of  God,  they  can,  I  presume,  afford 


258  C^LL   TO   THE   NORTH. 

none  that  it  is  not.  If  they  are  ranked  with  tears,  crying, 
&c.,  the  common  eiiects  of  religious  passions,  I  am  neither 
oiFended  with  them,  nor  am  I  much  dehghted  with  them.  I 
have  moreover  supposed,  and  do  still  suppose,  that  many 
measures  were  adopted  by  the  conductors  of  this  work, 
which  were  imprudent  and  unwarrantable.  When  people 
are  under  strong  religious  impressions,  there  is  more  need  of 
regulation  and  restraint  than  of  encouragement.  To  give  an 
instance — six  or  ten  persons  exhorting  at  once — five  hundred 
praying  as  loud  as  they  can  cry ;  these  things  occurred 
in  Carolina.  My  opinion  is  that  the  fruit  of  this  revival 
will  by  no  means  answer  the  appearances,  and  that  the  de- 
clension will  be  so  apparent,  that  the  unbelieving  will  be 
greatly  hardened.  In  all  these  opinions,  however,  I  have  a 
reserve.  I  have  not  been  an  eye-witness  to  the  work ;  if  I 
were,  I  might  judge  difierently  of  many  things. 

"  I  remain  your  affectionate  brother, 

"A.  A/' 

"  About  this  time,"  says  he,  "  the  conduct  of  the  students 
became  very  irregular,  and  I  grew  weary  of  governing  them. 
I  had  been  invited  in  the  spring  of  1806,  to  visit  the  Third 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia,  made  vacant  by  the 
removal  of  Dr.  Milledoler  to  New- York. •••  I  declined  the 
invitation,  but  in  September  I  was  again  requested  to  visit 
the  city,  as  there  was  no  hope  of  fixing  upon  any  other 
candidate.     This  came  just  at  the  time  when  our  students 

*  The  call  was  approved  by  the  Presbytery,  Oct.  22(1,  1806. 


RETROSPECT    OF   VIRGINIA.  259 

were  in  a  state  of  much  turbulence  and  insubordination. 
Without  consulting  any  of  my  friends,  I  set  out  for  Phila- 
delphia, where  I  preached  for  two  Sabbaths  as  well  as  during 
the  week.''  The  result  was  a  unanimous  call  to  the  church 
in  Pine  Street.  Immediately  on  his  return  home  he  pro- 
cured a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  and  the  Trustees  of 
the  College  met  on  the  same  day,  when  he  requested  to 
be  dismissed  from  both  charges.  In  all  this  proceeding  he 
seems  to  have  acted  with  much  decision  of  purpose  ;  so  that 
his  friends  did  not.  venture  to  lay  any  obstacle  in  his  way, 
while  they  were  by  no  means  convinced  that  he  was  wise  in 
the  removal.  The  step  was  an  important  one,  as  it  severed 
him  from  his  native  State,  and  led  the  way  to  those  more 
important  engagements  as  a  theological  instructor,  for  which 
Providence  had  all  along  been  preparing  him. 

In  subsequent  years,  and  even  to  the  close  of  his  life,  he 
recurred  to  these  years  of  ministry  in  Virginia  with  fond 
emotion.  They  were  connected  with  his  most  animating 
labours  and  most  visible  success.  He  never  could  cease  to 
lament  the  loss  of  that  peculiar  warmth  and  cordiality  which 
belonged  to  Southern  Christians  ;  and  he  was  often  heard  to 
say,  that  although  he  believed  he  had  attained  greater  use- 
fulness by  his  removal,  he  had  sustained  a  great  loss  as  to 
personal  and  social  comfort.  In  all  those  things  which  at- 
tract the  observation  of  the  public,  these  were  his  best  days. 
An  exuberant  hilarity  made  his  companionship  delightful, 
as  will  be  readily  believed  by  those  who  remember  the  clear 
loud  laugh  even  of  his  latter  years.  The  circumstances  in 
which  he  had   grown  up  in  his  early  ministry,  among   a 


260 


CRITICAL    TIME. 


number  of  active  and  inquiring  minds,  rendered  controversy 
inevitable  ;  and  we  can  recall  the  days  in  which  debates 
on  theological  topics  were  carried  to  all  the  lengths  of  ex- 
citement, which  are  not  inconsistent  with  good  nature  and 
Christian  friendship.  We  regard  the  period  which  we  now 
bring  to  a  close,  as  that  in  which,  with  regard  to  every  impor- 
tant trait  and  faculty,  his  mind  and  character  took  their 
form.  Wider  range  of  knowledge,  richer  stores  of  accumu- 
.lation,  sounder  experience,  keener  sagacity,  more  prophetic 
forecast,  there  may  have  come  with  advancing  years,  but  in 
whatsoever  can  attract  in  the  man,  or  impress  in  the  preacher, 
he  was  just  now  at  a  point  of  culmination. 

Another  remark  is  still  more  obvious ;  this  was  the 
eventful  period  of  his  life.  From  this  time  forward,  and  es- 
pecially after  the  single  remove  to  New  Jersey,  there  was  no 
more  change  of  place  or  occupation,  but  life  flowed  on  in  a 
placid  cun-ent.  Up  to  this  time  on  the  contrary,  events  had 
followed  one  another  in  very  rapid  succession.  Indeed,  from 
his  very  boyhood,  he  may  be  said  to  have  been  in  a  continual 
change.  This  served  in  a  very  remarkable  degree  to  form 
his  character,  to  enlarge  his  views,  to  afford  sides  of  approach 
to  various  persons  and  influences,  and  to  redeem  him  for  all 
his  years  of  study  from  every  thing  like  the  narrowness, 
pedantry  and  stiffness  of  the  schools  and  the  closet.  As  it 
regards  the  most  important  of  all  qualifications,  it  may  be 
affirmed  without  hesitation,  that  these  were  years  of  spiritual 
advancement.  He  was  incessantly  engaged  in  efforts  to  do 
good  as  an  instructor  of  youth  and  as  a  preacher,  in  public 
and  private.     The  savour  of  his  unobtrusive  piety  remained 


JOURNEY.  26  i 

as  a  holy  fragrance  in  that  part  of  the  church,  long  after  he 
had  removed  from  it,  and  a  few  aged  persons  still  survive, 
who  love  to.  relate  how  his  face  seemed  to  shine  from  acts 
of  private  communion,  and  how  his  discourse,  even  more 
freely  than  in  later  years,  hroke  forth  in  eloquent  and  pa- 
thetic appeals  upon  divine  subjects.  We  are  induced  to 
believe  that  the  very  trains  of  thought,  which  went  to  con- 
stitute those  practical  sermons,  which  were  singularly  ad- 
mirable for  the  intertexture  of  doctrine  and  experience,  were 
constructed  during  the  meditations  and  labours  of  this  period. 
By  all  this  process,  God  was  preparing  him  for  the  important 
post,  at  which  his  closing  years  were  to  be  spent. 

Having  determined  to  leave  Virginia,  Mr.  Alexander 
hastened  to  effect  a  speedy  settlement  in  his  new  home. 
His  little  family  had  already  been  taken  to  Hopewell,  and 
did  not  return  to  Prince  Edward. 

We  have  happily  recovered  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Graham,  which 
supplies  some  facts  of  this  period.  "  We  set  out  from  Dr. 
WaddePs,''  so  he  writes  in  1807,  "  on  November  24th,  and 
reached  Philadelphia  on  the  8tli  of  December  ;  the  roads  were 
deep  and  the  weather  unfavourable.  We  were  detained  two 
days  in  Fauquier  by  high  water,  and  two  more  at  Leesburg 
by  bad  roads.  At  the  last  mentioned  place,  Mr.  Mines  is 
settled,  but  his  situation  is  by  no  means  comfortable.  His 
expectations  have  not  been  realized,  either  as  to  support 
or  usefulness.  We  staid  at  his  house,  and  were  treated  with 
the  greatest  kindness.  There  are  here  some  excellent  Chris- 
tians, and  upon  the  whole,  the  village  contains  as  many  re- 
spectable families  as  any  one  of  the  same  size  in  Virginia. 


262  PROVIDENTIAL    MEETING. 

"  Before  I  left  Prince  Edward,  I  wrote  to  the  people 
here  to  meet  me  with  a  carriage  at  Little  York,  expecting 
to  arrive  there  by  the  first  day  of  December  ;  but  we  were  so 
much  retarded  by  the  causes  already  stated,  that  we  were 
still  in  Virginia  at  the  appointed  time.  After  passing 
Fredericktown  a  few  miles,  the  axle-tree  of  our  carriage 
snapped  in  two,  and  we  were  obliged  to  walk  half  a  mile 
back  to  get  to  a  house,  and  to  contrive  some  means  of  get- 
ting the  carriage  to  Fredericktown  tt)  be  mended.  We  felt 
very  little  disconcerted,  although  the  prospect  was  gloomy. 
I  left  Janetta '  and  the  children  in  the  house,  and  took  a 
young  man  back  with  me  to  the  carriage.  We  were  en- 
gaged in  fastening  it  as  well  as  we  could,  when  I  lifted  up 
my  eyes  and  saw  an  empty  carriage  approaching.  As  soon 
as  I  saw  it  I  said,  '  There  is  the  carriage  from  Philadelphia, 
which  was  to  meet  us  ! '  And  so  it  was.  We  now  under- 
stood the  reason  why  our  axle-tree  broke  ;  for  half  a  mile 
before  us  there  was  an  ugly  little  river  which  had  been  much 
swollen  by  the  rains,  and  which  we  should  have  crossed  with 
danger,  our  horses  being  jaded.  Besides,  on  that  very  night 
a  very  heavy  snow  began  to  fall,  through  which  we  could 
have  made  no  progress  without  an  excellent  driver  and  good 
horses  ;  and  we  were  much  pleased  to  have  it  in  our  power 
to  send  Scipio  home  from  this  place  instead  of  taking  him 
further,  as  something  might  have  happened  to  him.  So  this 
little  disaster,  as  it  seemed  at  first,  gave  us  much  pleasure 
in  the  end.  The  remainder  of  our  journey  was  dreadful,  as 
to  roads  and  weather,  but  we  suffered  no  injury.  Janetta 
wearied  herself  in  carrying  William  more  than  was  necessary 


SLAVERY. 


263 


but  she  and  the  children  remained  perfectly  well,  and  through 
God's  blessing  are  so  si  ill.  As  for  myself,  I  caught  a  violent 
cold  in  Leesburg  which  affected  my  breast  very  much,  as  I 
had  much  preaching  to  do  upon  my  arrival  here.  Living 
in  a  large  city  has  in  it  many  things  agreeable  to  me,  and 
some  which  are  not.  My  principal  objection  to  it  is,  that  I 
am  not  sufficiently  master  of  my  own  time  ;  but  this  incon- 
venience is  of  course  greater  just  now  than  it  will  be  here- 
after. Our  people  are,  with  few  exceptions,  of  the  middling 
class.  They  do  not  affect  the  modes  of  high  life,  but  glory 
in  being  plain  and  unceremonious.  They  are  remarkable 
for  attachment  to  their  minister,  and  for  affection  to  one 
another.  There  is  not  a  person  in  the  congregation  who  is 
not  friendly  to  warm  evangelical  preaching  ;  and  this  they 
must  have  fresh  from  the  mint,  for  they  are  greater  enemies 
to  the  reading  of  sermons  than  the  Virginians  themselves. 
I  find  that  Dr.  Smith's  and  Dr.  Milledoler's  labours  have 
been  uncommonly  useful.  We  have  also  some  hopeful  ap- 
pearances at  present.  The  attention  to  preaching  is  great, 
and  a  few  persons  seem  to  be  impressed." 

His  connection  with  the  institution  of  slavery  was  not 
such  as  to  present  any  serious  hinderance  to  removal,  but 
one  of  its  incidents  is  too  instructive  to  be  omitted.  There 
was  in  the  family  a  young  woman  named  Daphne,  who  had 
been  the  attendant  of  Mrs.  Alexander  from  her  childhood, 
and  was  treated  more  as  a  friend  than  a  servant.  When  it 
was  left  to  her  choice,  she  determined  to  accompany  her 
master  and  mistress  to  the  North  ;  and  as  she  had  been 
married  to  a  young  man  in  Prince  Edward,  she  went  with 


264  DAPHNE. 

hoj)es  that  he  might  in  some  way  obtain  his  freedom.  We 
shall  anticipate  so  far  as  to  complete  her  remarkable  story. 
Soon  after  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  she  found  many,  some 
being  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who  deeply  sympathized 
with  her  in  the  separation  from  her  husband  ;  and  there 
were  some  who  proposed  that  she  should  go  round  among 
the  benevolent  with  a  subscription  towards  his  redemption 
from  slavery.  John  Boatman  was  regarded  as  a  valuable 
servant,  and  was  accordingly  held  at  a  high  price  ;  but  the 
money  was  raised,  and  the  master  struck  off  something  from 
the  sum  which  he  might  have  obtained.  John,  who  was  a 
brawny  and  ill-favoured  black,  was  sent  on  to  accompany 
the  family  in  travelling  northward.  Mr.  Alexander  kept 
them  both  as  hired  servants  upon  wages.  But  John  discov- 
ered that  he  could  procure  larger  amounts  elsewhere,  and 
was  immediately  released  to  become  the  coachman  of  Gov- 
ernor McKean.  Daphne,  w^ho  was  of  light  complexion  and 
persuasive  manners,  began  to  associate  with  the  ladies  of 
colour  in  Philadelphia,  and  learned  to  entertain  more  lofty 
thoughts.  She  soon  left  her  kind  protectors  and  set  up  for 
herself  The  husband  went  rapidly  astray,  forsook  his  wife, 
and  was  cast  into  prison.  Daphne  fell  into  ill  health,  be- 
came unable  to  work,  and  at  length  found  a  place  in  the 
almshouse.  Here  she  was  during  the  earlier  part  of  Dr.  Al- 
exander's residence  in  Princeton.  During  her  retreat  in 
this  public  institution  she  was  led  to  reflect  on  the  quiet  and 
ease  which  she  had  enjoyed  under  a  nominal  bondage,  so 
that  when  she  was  visited  by  two  daughters  of  Dr.  Waddel, 
she  embraced  with  joy  tlie  proposal  that   she  should  return 


RETURN    TO    BOKDAGB.  265 

and  find  a  shelter  amidst  the  scen^es  of  her  youth,  where  her 
mother  and  several  brothers  and  sisters  still  lived.  "  We 
agreed/'  says  Dr.  Alexander,  "to  make  up  among  us  the 
sum  which  was  necessary.  But  I  told  her  that  she  could 
not  go  back  as  a  free  woman,  as  the  laws  prohibited  the 
return  of  free  negroes  to  the  State  ;  but  that  she  knew  what 
freedom  was,  and  what  slavery  was,  and  might  again  exercise 
her  choice  whether  to  remain  free  or  to  go  back  as  a  slave. 
There  had  been  no  formal  act  of  manumission  when  she  was 
brought  away.  She  did  not  hesitate  a  moment.  She  knew 
that  she  had  never  been  a  slave  except  in  name,  and  she 
felt  a  strong  desire  to  be  with  her  kindred  and  the  children 
of  her  young  master."  Daphne  accordingly  returned,  and 
has  found  a  happy  home  ever  since  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Ad- 
dison Waddel  of  Staunton,  working  for  herself  and  going 
wherever  she  pleases.  She  still  survives  at  the  time  of  the 
present  writing,  and  has  always  borne  the  character  of  an 
affectionate  and  humble  Christian. 

Resuming  our  narrative,  we  have  to  state  that  Mr.  Alex- 
ander has  recorded  his  belief  that  the  suddenness  of  his  re- 
moval was  not  without  some  human  impatience  and  precipi- 
tancy. "  But,"  he  adds,  "  v/hat  I  did  rashly,  Providence 
ordered  for  good."  Upon  arriving  in  Philadelphia  he  found 
himself  embarrassed  by  the  novelty  of  his  domestic  circum* 
stances,  and  the  common  difficulty  of  obtaining  proper  ser- 
vants. He  moreover  began  his  labours  with  a  violent  cold, 
which,  however,  did  not  prevent  his  opening  his  new  career 
of  labour.  He  was  received  as  a  member  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Philadelphia  on  the  21st  of  April,  1807.     His  iustalla- 


266  IMPRESSIONS    OF   THE   CITY. 

tion  as  pastor  took  place  on  the  20  th  of  the  next  month ; 
on  which  occasion  the  Rev.  George  C.  Potts  dehverecl  the 
customary  sermon,  the  Rev.  Jacob  J.  Janeway  presided  and 
gave  the  charge  to  the  minister,  and  the  Rev.  James  P. 
Wilson,  D.  D.  gave  the  charge  to  the  people. 

MR.  ALEXANDER  TO  MRS.  GRAHAM. 

"Philadelphia,  March  5,  180Y. 

"  Dear  Sister  : — 

"  My  time  is  very  much  occupied  here,  but  the 
business  on  which  my  duty  obliges  me  to  attend  is  not  disa- 
greeable. Almost  every  day  some  sick  persons  are  to  be 
visited.  Funerals  are  frequently  to  be  attended,  and  some- 
times persons  under  spiritual  trouble  apply  in  order  that  tjiey 
may  be  advised  and  comforted.  There  is  a  very  wrong 
opinion  frequently  entertained  of  congregations  in  such  a 
place  as  this  ;  as  if  all  the  members  were  well  informed 
people.  The  truth  is,  there  is  much  less  religious  knowledge 
among  the  bulk  of  the  people  here  than  in  the  country. 
Multitudes  grow  up  with  very  little  knowledge  of  the  doc- 
trines of  religion,  and  many  after  they  are  grown  join  them- 
selves to  a  congregation  by  taking  pews,  who  were  never 
instructed  at  all.  These  require  very  plain  preaching,  and 
when  they  become  serious  need  to  be  taught  the  very  first 
])rinciplcs  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ. 

"  I  have  just  now  returned  from  visiting  a  woman,  who 
sent  for  me  to  converse  about  her  being  baptized,  as  this 
had  been  neglected  in  her  infancy.  I  found  her  very  igno- 
rant of  every  thing  except  that  she  fel^  herself  to  be  a  lost 


PASTORAL    CASES. 


267 


sinnei,  and  trusted  in  Christ  alone  for  salvation.  She  was 
so  affected  when  she  attempted  to  speak,  that  she  could 
utter  only  a  few  words  at  a  time.  She  handed  me  a  book, 
which  she  said  contained  a  description  of  her  exercises.  It 
contained  Wright  on  the  New  Birth,  and  Haweis  on  the  Sa- 
crament, bound  together.  I  had  never  seen  either  of  them, 
and  therefore  looked  a  little  into  the  volume,  and  found  it  to 
be  sound  and  very  plain.  I  told  her  it  was  well,  and  that  I 
would  baptize  her  on  the  next  occasion. 

"  This  morning  I  was  a  good  deal  encouraged  by  an  ac- 
count which  I  saw  in  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  in  East 
Jersey  to  his  cousin,  one  of  our  elders.  This  man  paid  a 
visit  to  his  cousin  in  this  city  last  month  ;  and  although  he 
was  deistically  inclined,  and  never  went  to  a  place  of  worship 
at  home,  he  was  induced  by  his  relative,  who  is  fervent  in 
piety,  to  attend  our  meetings.  Since  he  went  home,  he  has 
written  that  he  has  determined  to  turn  his  attention  to  reli- 
gion and  to  change  his  manner  of  life.  He  was  educated  in 
Glasgow  for  the  ministry,  but  became  skeptical,  as  his 
cousin  informs  me,  and  devoted  himself  to  trade.  We  have 
several  instances  of  awakening  and  hopeful  conversion  since 
I  arrived  here.  Two  men,  particularly,  who  were  considered 
the  most  worldly  in  their  disposition  of  any  in  their  circle, 
have  become  serious.  One  of  these  professes  to  have  expe- 
rienced a  thorough  change.  The  other  has  been  almost  in 
despair,  but  begins  now  to  be  a  little  comforted.  I  have  fre- 
quently visited  a  man  and  his  wife,  who  appeared  to  me  as 
ignorant  as  any  I  ever  saw  in  a  gospel  land  ;  but  they  have, 
I  trust,  obtained  eyes  to  see  ;  and  knowledge  may  be  ex- 


268  PHILADEliPHIA. 

pected  to  follow  of  course.  I  have  attempted  to  mention 
the  principal  encouraging  cases  which  have  fallen  under  my 
observation.  But  I  do  not  yet  know  one  [half  of  my]  people. 
They  do  not  know  one  another ;  for  [many  of  them]  never 
meet  any  where  but  at  church.  Among  the  poor  I  have 
found  some  choice  spirits,  real  heirs  of  the  kingdom  ;  one 
man  in  particular,  who  is  too  infirm  to  come  out,  and  who 
[is  supported  by  the]  congregation,  edifies  me  every  time  I 
call  to  see  him,  and  is  all  alive  in  religion.  I  find  myself 
greatly  benefited  by  my  visits  to  the  sick  and  afflicted  ;  and 
it  leads  me  to  preach  in  a  strain  which  otherwise  I  should 
not  have  thought  suitable  to  a  great  city.  My  love  to  all 
friends.     Grace,  mercy  and  peace  be  with  you  and  yours. 

"A.  A." 

TO    THE    SAME. 

"  Philadelpdia,  Jan.  23,  1811. 

"  Dear  Sister  : — 

"  Religion  in  this  place  is  at  present  in  a  languid 
rather  than  a  thriving  state.  The  additions  to  the  church 
have  been  less  considerable  during  the  last  year  than  for  any 
year  since  I  came  here.  Mr.  Burch  continues  here,  and  is,  I 
think,  very  useful.  His  people  are  still  fond  of  him,  and 
are  building  a  beautiful  church.  People  at  a  distance  are 
much  mistaken  about  the  land  of  preaching  which  suits 
this  place.  Some  congregations,  it  is  true,  require  men  of  the 
best  learning  and  talents,  but  many  others  demand  preaching 
of  the  plainest  kind,  and  less  learning  and  polish  than  almost 
any  country  congregation  however  remote.  We  need  at  this 
time  another  preacher  of  the  same  stamp  as  Mr.  Burch,  to 
preach  to  the  people  in  the  suburbs. 


CITY    CLERGY.  269 

"  We  have  been  pleasing  ourselves  with  the  prospect  of  a 
trip  to  Virginia  next  summer  ;  but  whether  our  hopes  shall 
be  realized  remains  to  be  discovered.  If  we  should  be  able  to 
accomplish  our  wish,  you  may  expect  to  see  us  in  August. 
Time  glides  rapidly  along  ;  year  succeeds  year  in  swift  suc- 
cession. We  must  soon  begin  to  descend  towards  the  grave, 
according  to  the  general  course  of  nature.  Lately,  as  it 
seems  in  the  retrospect,  we  were  young  ;  but  soon,  if  our 
lives  are  prolonged,  we  shall  be  old.  Well,  if  we  can  but 
live  usefully  and  die  comfortably,  we  need  not  be  concerned 

how  soon  we  finish  this  pilgrimage. 

"A.  A." 

The  materials  for  constructing  a  full  and  connected  nar- 
rative of  this  new  period  are  unfortunately  wanting.  Dr. 
Alexander  seldom  retained  a  copy  of  his  own  letters.  And 
what  is  still  more  painfully  felt  by  us  in  prosecuting  our 
work,  the  autobiography  breaks  off  about  this  point,  and  we 
henceforward  journey  on  without  the  guiding  thread  of  his 
own  record  which  has  thus  far  conducted  us. 

Philadelphia,  though  far  less  populous  than  in  our  day, 
was  nevertheless  the  chief  city  of  the  land,  and  was  dis- 
tinguished as  for  many  years  the  permanent  seat  of  the 
General  Assembly.  Its  churches  were  among  the  most 
distinguished  in  our  communion,  and  were  served  by  clergy- 
men of  note.  There  were  at  this  time  four  Presbyterian 
congregations.  The  pastor  of  the  First  Church  was  the 
Kev.  James  P.  Wilson,  D.  D.,  in  some  respects  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  ministers  whom  our  connection  has  pro- 
duced.    After  having  been  a  lawyer  for  fifteen  years,  he 


270  THE    THIRD    CHURCH. 

devoted  himself  to  the  work  of  preaching  the  Grospel,  and 
lahoiired  with  great  acceptance  and  the  admiration  of  many 
cultivated  minds,  until  the  decline  of  health  brought  his 
active  service  to  a  close,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Eev. 
Albert  Barnes.  Dr.  Wilson  was  a  man  of  varied  and  re- 
condite learning.  Between  him  and  Mr.  Alexander  there 
were  many  sympathies,  and  a  familiar  literary  commerce 
was  kept  up  between  them.  Both  were  strongly  inclined  to 
the  study  of  language,  in  which  Dr.  W.  v^ras  a  great  pro- 
ficient, and  both  addicted  themselves  to  Scriptural  exegesis, 
which  was  then  beginning  to  receive  the  new  lights  of  conti- 
nental editors  and  critics.  They  had  moreover  a  community 
of  interest  as  to  their  mode  of  preaching,  for  at  this  time, 
both  exercised  their  pulpit  gifts  without  the  use  of  any  manu- 
script. The  Second  Church,  then  at  the  corner  of  Third  and 
Arch  streets,  had  for  its  pastors  the  Reverend  Drs.  Green  and 
Janeway  as  colleagues.  Dr.  Green  was  an  able  and  popular 
preacher,  and  always  threw  his  influence  decidedly  into  the 
scale  of  vital  piety.  Dr.  Janeway,  who  was  like-minded, 
still  lives  in  an  honourable  old  age.  The  pastor  of  the  Fourth 
Church  was  the  Rev.  George  C.  Potts,  a  clergyman  of  great 
worth  and  benevolence,  for  whom  Dr.  Alexander  retained  a 
warm  regard  as  long  as  he  lived. 

The  Third  Presbyterian  Church  was  not  distinguished 
in  any  worldly  sense.  It  was  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
city  proper,  and  at  that  time  contained  a  great  number  of 
persons  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Navy-yard,  with  a 
goodJy  proportion  of  shii)masters  and  pilots.  The  predomi- 
nating ingredient  in  the  congregation  was  the  old-fashioned 


RULING   ELDERS.  27J 

Scotch  ana  Irish  Presbyterianism,  with  its  salient  points  of 
good  and  evil,  with  which  the  new  pastor  was  familiar.  There 
was  all  possible  zeal  or  tenacity  respecting  covenanted 
doctrine  and  ancient  usage,  with  a  disposition  on  the  part 
of  some  to  look  with  distrust  on  hortatory  preaching,  and 
any  measures  toward  revival,  as  savouring  of  newlight  and 
methodism.  The  communion  seasons  were  like  those  of 
Scotland,  with  long  tables  and  '  tokens/  There  were  not 
wanting,  however,  some  bright  specimens  of  a  piety  which  has 
never  flourished  more  than  among  Christians  of  this  lineage. 
But  the  situation  was  one  fitted  to  make  a  young  Virginian 
minister  feel  the  transition  from  a  religious  climate  of  great 
fervour  and  freedom. 

Among  the  excellent  private  Christians  who  were  mem- 
bers of  this  church,  Mr.  James  Stuart  deserves  honourable 
mention.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  long  occupied 
the  place  of  ruling  elder.  To  a  natural  temperament  of  great 
ardency,  he  added  evangelical  knowledge  and  a  remarkable 
disposition  to  be  useful.  He  was  gifted  in  prayer,  assiduous 
and  affectionate  among  the  poor  and  suffering,  and  a  valuable 
aid  to  his  pastor.  It  is  but  a  few  years  since  he  died,  full 
of  years,  and  venerated  by  all  who  knew  him.  Mr.  John 
McMullin  was  another  elder  ;  a  man  of  gentle  manners,  un- 
feigned piety,  and  unusual  consistency  of  character.  Capt. 
Benjamin  Wickes  belonged  to  the  same  church  ;  he  was  well 
known  as  one  of  the  few  truly  religious  captains  who  in  that 
day  sailed  from  our  ports,  and  was  honoured  with  the  charge 
of  conducting  numerous  missionaries  to  the  East  Indies  and 
China.     Joseph  Eastburn,  the  first   who  devoted  attention 


272  CORRESPONDENCE. 

to  the  spiritual  wants  of  seamen,  was  forward  in  every  good 
work  at  this  day,  and  was  in  close  intimacy  with  Mr.  Alexan- 
der. With  some  families  of  his  congregation  he  maintained 
affectionate  relations  to  the  very  close  of  life  ;  and  among 
these  a  prominent  place  is  due  to  the  name  of  Mr.  Thomas 
M.  Hall,  in  whose  house  even  after  the  decease  of  this  worthy 
man  he  was  a  welcome  guest  for  more  than  forty  years. 

A  brisk  epistolary  exchange  continued  to  be  kept  up  with 
his  bosom  friends  Kice  and  Speece.  Of  letters  written  by 
the  former,  we  have  more  than  fifty,  being  all  that  remain 
of  some  hundreds.  These  show  that  their  communications 
turned  on  matters  of  experimental  and  ministerial  religion 
and  on  Uterature  ;  and  they  evince  a  zeal  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge  under  difficulties,  which  is  as  rare  as  it  is  stimu- 
lating. These  earnest  young  men  employed  their  friend, 
as  near  the  learned  marts,  to  be  on  the  watch  for  books  in 
every  department.  In  1808,  we  find  Mr.  Kice  writing  for 
Eusebius  and  Wetstein ;  and  in  1810,  saying,  "  Yes,  Sir ! 
If  it  please  God  to  give  me  health  and  strength,  I  am  re- 
solved to  be  master  of  those  languages  in  which  the  truths 
of  Divine  revelation  w^ere  originally  recorded,  and  I  am  very 
anxious  to  get  all  the  helps  in  these  studies  that  can  possibly 
be  procured.  I  must  beg  your  assistance  in  this  business. 
If  you  will  accept  of  it,  I  hereby  give  you  carte  blanche,  a 
full  commission  to  buy  for  me,  at  any  price  that  you  think 
proper  to  give,  any  book  which  you  can  find,  that  it  will  in 
your  opinion  be  important  for  me  to  have.  I  have  been 
very  anxious  to  get  Horsley's  new  Translation  of  Hosea. 
Are  any  copies  to  be  found  in  your  city  ^     Be  on  the  watch^ 

19 


RELIGIOUS   NOVEL.  273 

if  you  please,  for  a  Syriac  New  Testament,  for  Trommiiis'g 
Concordance,  for  Wetstein's  Greek  Testament  ;  I  do  not 
know  whether  it  is  worth  while  to  mention  Calasio's  Conccrd- 
ance,  and  Michaelis's  Hebrew  Bible,  I  question  if  they  are 
by  any  means  to  be  obtained," 

A  literary  project  of  Mr,  Alexander,  which  he  had  enter- 
tained before  leaving  Virginia,  was  matter  of  much  entertain- 
ment in  his  little  circle  of  intimates.  He  had  begun,  and 
perhaps  had  completed,  a  work  of  fiction,  answering  exactly 
to  what  has  since  been  called  the  religious  novel.  It  was  enti- 
tled ^'  Eudocia,"  and  purported  to  be  the  history  of  a  young 
lady  of  wealth  and  beauty,  who  is  led  through  various  changes 
and  degrees,  from  giddy  ignorance  to  piety  and  peace.  The 
plot  was  engaging  ;  there  was  a  thread  of  romantic  but  pure 
love,  running  through  the  whole  ;  it  abounded  in  graphic 
description  and  lively  dialogue.  Some  of  the  scenes  were 
eminently  pathetic  ;  and  Mr,  Speece  was  known  to  burst 
into  tearg,  when  it  was  read  aloud.  The  whole  was  made 
subservient  to  the  inculcation  of  evangelical  truth.  The 
author  finally  determined  to  suppress  it.  The  manuscript 
was  not  destroyed,  but  the  delay — beyond  the  nonum  pre- 
matur  in  annum — resulted  in  the  destruction  of  more  than 
one  half.  What  remains  would  fill  a  good  duodecimo.  The 
allusions  which  follow  will  now  be  manifest. 

MR.  SPEECE    TO    MR.  ALEXANDER. 

"Powhatan,  August  16,  1808. 

"Dear  Sir:— 

"  I  received  your  acceptable  and  instructive  sermon 
some  time  ago  in  Prince  Edward,  where  Dr.  Hall  left  it  for 


274 


MU.    SPEECE  S    LETTER. 


ine  on  his  way  home.  But  your  letter  of  June  8,  I  did  not 
get,  till  two  days  ago.  The  single  reason  of  my  not  having 
written  to  you  during  so  long  a  time,  was  the  want  of  any 
matter  which  I  could  think  sufficiently  interesting.  1  per- 
suaded myself,  however,  that  you  as  well  as  I  could  conceive 
how  an  affectionate  regard  might  subsist  between  distant 
friends,  though  there  were  not  a  frequent  intercourse  by 
letter. 

"Your  approbation  of  my  presbyterial  sermon  affords 
me  much  pleasure.  I  will  remark  to  you  that  one  reason  of 
my  swelling  that  sermon  with  so  many  long  doctrinal  para- 
graphs, w^as  a  wish  to  remove  some  suspicions,  which  you 
perhaps  remember,  that  I  was  verging  too  much  towards 
Arminianism.  I  have  given  a  kind  of  confession  of  my 
faith,  and  hope  the  motive  I  have  mentioned  was  not  im- 
proper. 

"  I  am  delighted  with  the  prospect  of  seeing  your  sweet 
Eudocia  presented  to  the  public.  Before  I  received  your 
letter  I  had  resolved  to  write  to  you  soon,  principally  to  entreat 
that  the  door  which  confined  her  might  be  opened,  that  she 
might  walk  forth  for  the  entertainment  and  edification  of 
the  world.  T  hope  the  humorous  and  satirical  parts  of  the 
work  will  be  retained.  They  will  be  useful  in  themselves, 
and  will  render  the  book  alluring  to  a  larger  number  of 
readers.  And  though  I  should  not  like  to  differ  in  a  point 
of  taste  from  Mrs.  Alexander,  allow  me  to  put  in  a  word  in 
behalf  of  the  dream,  or  dreams,  which  you  read  to  me  from 
the  manuscript.  Dreaming  is  indeed  a  delicate  subject,  both 
in  philosophy  and  religion.     But  we  believe  that  God  does 


MR.    SPEECE'S   LETTER.  275 

sometimes   speak   to  meiij   Mn  dreams  and  visions  of  th« 
night/  to  fasten  important  instruction  upon  their  hearts. 

"  I  have  been  long  collecting  ideas  for  a  dissertation  on 
Liberty  and  Necessity  ;  not  to  increase  the  mass  of  meta- 
physical subtilties  on  the  subject,  but  if  possible  to  diminish 
it.  But  I  have  another  design  in  hand,  more  liivcly  to  be 
executed  ;  namely,  to  write  a  sermon  or  dissertation  on  the 
doctrine  of  Election.  Presumptuous  as  it  may  appear,  I 
cannot  but  think  I  could  produce  something  more  satisfac- 
tory than  I  have  met  with  on  that  doctrine  ;  especially  in 
the  business  of  answering  objections  against  it. 

"  Our  Magazine  is  dead  indeed  ;  solely,  I  think,  for  want 
of  zeal  in  the  members  of  our  Synod.  I  have  long  believed 
it  possible  to  make  a  better  one,  under  the  auspices  of 
Hanover  Presbytery.  The  plan  you  suggest  deserves  atten- 
tion. I  had  thought  of  trying  to  get  a  suitable  printer, 
who  should  be  furnished  with  matter  and  editorial  direction, 
and  print  and  distribute  the  work  at  his  own  charge,  and  for 
his  own  sole  profit.  The  times  are  so  discouraging  to  most 
things  which  require  money,  that  I  fear  we  can  do  nothing 
shortly  in  such  a  design.  Mr.  Hoge's  reputation  as  a 
preacher  is  rising  rapidly  with  the  public,  and  I  hope  he  will 
do  well  as  the  president  of  the  college. 

^•'  I  have  seen  the  collection  of  books  which  you  purchased 
for  Mr.  Rice.  The  cheapness  of  such  a  mass  of  literature 
quite  astonished  me.  When  I  can  find  an  opportunity  of 
sending  you  some  money,  I  shall  probably  request  yon  to 
exercise  a  similar  kindness  towards  me. 

"  I  do  not  know  any  interesting  news  to  send  yon  from 


276  MB.  rice's  letter. 

this  quarter,  either  on  the  state  of  religion,  or  any  ching 
else.  Where  is  to  be  the  end  of  Buonaparte's  tremendous 
career.?  But  our  God  reigns,  and  we  will  rejoice.  Mention 
to  Mrs.  Alexander  my  affectionate  remembrance  of  her,  and 
believe  me 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"Conrad  Speece." 

mr.  rice  to  mr.  alexander. 

**  Charlotte,  January  28,  1810. 

"My  Bear  Sir  :— 

"  I  sometimes  feel  backward  to  write  to  you,  be- 
cause I  have  so  little  to  communicate  that  can  be  at  all 
interesting.  But  the  pleasure  which  your  letters  afford  me 
is  so  great,  that,  frequently  when  I  have  no  other  reason,  I 
write  that  I  may  receive  an  answer  from  you,  and  hear  some- 
thing from  Mrs.  Alexander  and  your  boys.  If  you  think 
this  is  my  motive  at  present,  you  will  not  wander  far  from 
the  mark. 

"Three  days  ago  I  finished  the  perusal  of  '  Coelebs/ 
Miss  Lightfoot  Carrington,  who  is  now  in  Richmond,  met 
with  it  there,  and  sent  it  to  me.  I  had  often  laughed  at 
her  for  spending  so  much  time  in  reading  novels.  When  she 
got  Coelebs, '  Here,'  says  she,  ^  is  a  novel  at  last  which  I  know 
that  Mr.  Rice  will  be  pleased  with ; '  and  accordingly  de- 
spatched it  to  Charlotte.  I  read  it  with  more  pleasure  than 
any  thing  of  the  author's  writing.  It  delighted  me  ;  I  tmst 
it  improved  me  too.  It  put  me  much  in  mind  of  a  certain 
Miss  Eudocia,  whom  I  have  been  longing  to  see  for  some 


MR.  rice's  levter.  277 

time  past.  The  rage  for  novels  is  so  great  that  I  have  long 
wished  to  see  that  species  of  writing  converted  to  a  bettei 
purpose.  Miss  Hannah  More  has  very  completely  answered 
my  wishes,  and  has,  by  the  way,  obtained  that  credit  with 
the  religious  world  which  I  think  in  all  reason  belonged  to 
you.  If  you  differ  with  me  on  this  point,  we  will  discuss  it 
after  we  shall  have  talked  over  this  new-fashioned  school 
affair  and  othei;  matters  ;  which  I  hope  to  do  in  May  next. 
At  that  time  Mr.  Speece  and  I  hope  to  be  with  you,  and 
then —  !  I  give  you  notice  that  Mr.  Speece  will  come  with 
his  pockets  loaded  with  money,  in  the  full  spirit  of  trade 
I  know  that  he  intends  to  make  some  grand  speculation,  for 
he  has  within  the  year  past  sold  nearly  two  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  books,  with  a  view  of  taking  the  money  to  Phila- 
delphia. 

"  I  think  the  state  of  religion  in  this  country  worse  by 
some  degrees  than  when  you  left  it.  Presbyterian  congrega- 
tions are  decreasing  every  year,  and  appear  as  if  they  would 
dwindle  to  nothing.  The  Baptists  and  Methodists  are  at  a 
stand.  A  strange  apathy  has  seized  the  people.  The  judg- 
ments with  which  our  nation  has  been  visited,  and  the  more 
awful  ones  which  impend,  have  produced  no  effect  ;  or  if 
any,  a  most  disastrous  one.  Instead  of  being  a  blessing  they 
are  a  curse.  The  people  feel  about  nothing  but  money.  As 
to  religion,  the  very  stillness  of  death  reigns  amongst  us.  I 
can  find  no  resemblance  to  this  part  of  the  country,  but  in 
Ezekiel's  valley  of  dry  bones.  I  am  sure  you  do  not  forget 
your  old  friends.     Remember  them,  then,  at  the  throne  of 


278  PREACHING    IN    THE    CITY. 

grace,  and  let   me,  particularly,   have  an  interest  in  your 

prayers. 

"  I  am  affectionately  yours, 

"John  H.  Kice." 

The  years  spent  in  Philadelphia  were  doubtless  impor- 
tant both  as  to  direct  usefulness  and  the  formation  of 
character.  Yet  a  change  thus  abrupt  brought  with  it  not  a 
few  privations  and  annoyances.  His  children  were  sickly, 
the  salary  was  small,  the  modes  of  domestic  management 
were  novel  and  embarrassing,  and  he  was  often  tempted  to 
wish  himself  back  among  the  wide  plantations  and  open 
forests  of  Lower  Virginia.  "  But  these,"  says  he,  "  were 
small  matters.  I  enjoyed  health,  and  had  on  the  Sabbath 
large  assemblies  of  attentive  people  ;  and  the  preaching  did 
not  seem  altogether  without  saving  effect.  The  congregation 
appeared  one  and  all  to  be  pleased  with  my  services,  and 
many  strangers  as  well  as  members  of  other  churches  came 
to  hear  me."  It  may  be  safely  said,  that  these  expressions 
much  underrate  the  degree  of  acceptance  and  popularity 
which  attended  his  public  ministrations.  The  vivacity  and 
freedom  of  his  discourses,  always  during  this  period  pro- 
nounced without  the  aid  of  any  manuscript,  attracted  very 
general  admiration  ;  and  their  solid  contents  and  evangelical 
unction  made  them  peculiarly  welcome  to  experienced 
Christians.  He  was,  moreover,  silently  acquiring  reputation 
as  a  theologian,  of  original  and  clear  views,  and  strict  ad- 
herence to  the  Keformed  tenets  ;  and  was  thus  preparing 
for  the  important  career  for  which  he  was  destined  by  Provi- 
dence. 


LEARNED   TOILt^.  279 

Being  now  brought  nearer  to  libraries,  learned  men  and 
the  means  of  acquiring  books,  he  entered  with  great  fresh- 
ness of  zeal  into  several  interesting  walks  of  clerical  study. 
In  every  thing  connected  with  the  criticism  and  interpreta- 
tion of  the  sacred  text,  he  used  assiduous  application ;  taking 
Hebrew  lessons  of  a  learned  Jew,  perusing  the  Septuagint, 
collating  other  versions,  and  pushing  more  deeply  those 
researches  which  he  had  long  before  commenced,  into  the 
original  of  the  New  Testament.  His  shelves  began  also  tc 
fill  themselves  with  those  folios  and  quartos,  bound  in  vel- 
lum, of  Latin  theology,  which  always  continued  to  be  char- 
acteristic of  his  library.  In  some  departments  of  learning 
he  was  no  doubt  surpassed  by  many  of  his  brethren  ;  but  it 
is  believed  that  none  of  his  coevals  had  read  more  exten- 
sively in  the  theology  of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  cen- 
turies ;  including  Romanist  and  Lutheran,  as  well  as  Re- 
formed divines.  The  practice  of  preaching  without  writing 
produced  in  him  one  of  its  ordinary  effects,  namely,  an  in- 
disposition to  commit  his  thoughts  to  paper.  Consequently 
his  judgment  and  taste  in  composition  so  much  outstripped 
his  ability  to  execute,  that  it  was  many  years  before  he  could 
bring  himself  to  give  any  thing  willingly  to  the  public.  He 
always  wrote  with  ease  and  even  with  rapidity,  but  never  to 
his  own  satisfaction.  During  his  residence  in  Philadelphia, 
therefore,  it  is  not  known  that  he  committed  any  thing  to 
the  press,  except  two  sermons,  one  at  the  opening  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  1808,  and  the  other  on  the  conflagra 
tion  of  the  Richmond  theatre,  and  a  few  papers  in  the  old 
Assembly's  Magazine,  which  cannot  now  be  pointed  out  with 
certainty. 


280  PAROCHIAL    WORK. 

In  his  pastoral  work  he  found  increasing  satisfaction,  anc 
was  surrounded  by  good  auxiliaries.  ^'  Of  my  own  people/' 
says  he,  "  William  Haslitt  and  John  McMullin  were  my  un- 
wavering friends.  James  Stuart  was  warm-hearted  and 
very  zealous,  and  often  showed  me  the  way  to  the  houses  of 
the  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  suffering  ;  and  in  the  prayer- 
meetings  he  was  my  right-hand  man.  Joseph  Eastburn, 
who  was  a  kind  of  city  missionary,  was  often  at  our  social 
gatherings  ;  his  heart  was  warm  and  his  feelings  were  kind. 
Though  this  truly  good  man  had  read  scarcely  any  thing  hut 
his  Bible,  he  preached  more  acceptably  and  profitably  than 
many  learned  men.  He  w^as  originally  a  member  of  Arch 
Street  church,  but  faUing  into  scruples  about  his  infant  bap- 
tism, he  went  into  the  country  and  got  a  Baptist  minister 
to  immerse  him,  but  on  condition  that  he  should  remain  a 
Presbyterian,  as  he  did  to  the  day  of  his  death.  When  the 
Methodists  occupied  the  old  Academy  which  once  belonged  to 
Whitefield,  Eastburn,  who  was  his  follower,  began  to  exhort 
publicly,  and  spoke  with  so  much  warmth  and  tenderness 
that  the  people  were  much  impressed.  All  seemed  to  think 
that  he  ought  to  be  licensed  as  an  exhorter,  which  w^as  then 
a  new  thing  in  the  church.  The  Presbytery  gave  him  au- 
thority to  preach  in  the  jail,  almshouse,  and  other  institu- 
tions. But  he  could  not  confine  himself  to  these,  and  spoke 
at  prayer-meetings,  and  sometimes  supplied  the  place  of 
ministers,  when  they  were  absent  or  indisposed.  He  even 
attended  Quaker  meetings,  and  was  moved  to  speak  there, 
so  often  as  to  give  some  umbrage  to  the  old  broad-brims. 
An  old  Quaker  lawyer  said  "  he  was  afraid  that  friend  Jo- 
seph spake  sometimes  before  ho  was  moved  by  the  Spirit." 


DOCTOR    RUSH.  28] 

A  surviving  member  of  the  congregation  thinks  that  Mr, 
Alexander  read  but  three  discourses  during  his  ministry  in 
Pine  street.  Dr.  Milledoler's  preaching  had  brought  in  a 
a  number  of  young  persons  ;  the  success  of  Mr.  A.  was  chiefly 
among  those  of  riper  years.  At  one  of  the  early  communions, 
out  of  twenty-seven  who  professed  their  faith,  only  one  was 
in  youth.  The  same  informant  recalls  the  interest  taken  by 
Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  in  the  performances  of  Mr.  Alexander. 
He  augured  his  future  eminence,  and  when  told  that  the 
discourses  were  very  simple,  quoted  the  Latin  adage,  Ex 
pede  Herculem  ;  adding  that  he  was  reminded  of  what  John 
Newton  says  in  his  Cardiphonia,  that  in  his  own  preaching 
he  followed  the  advice  of  a  minister  who  fixed  his  eye  on 
one  of  the  humblest  of  his  audience,  and  adapted  his  lan- 
guage to  this  hearer.  From  another  venerable  Philadelphian, 
Mr.  William  Bradford,  a  friend  has  derived  a  second  anec- 
dote. Dr.  Rush  and  Dr.  Abercrombie  were  in  a  carriage  at 
a  funeral,  when  Dr.  Rush  said,  pointing  to  the  Pine  street 
Church,  "  That  is  the  church  Mr.  Alexander  is  coming  to." 
*'  Do  you  call  that  a  church  ? ''  said  the  clergyman.  "  Yes, 
sir,"  replied  Rush  ;  "  wherever  two  or  three  old  women  meet 
together  in  the  name  of  Christ,  there  is  the  Church  of  the 
living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  6f  the  truth."  On  another 
occasion,  when  some  one  spoke  of  the  crowds  who  came  to 
evangelical  preaching.  Dr.  Rush  replied,  "  Yes,  in  this  sense 
also,  unto  Shiloh  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be." 

He  was  naturally  awakened  to  compassion  by  observing 
the  great  rehgious  destitution  prevailing  in  the  outskirts  of 
Philadelphia.     It  was  not  a  time  of  revival,  and  missionary 


282  CITY   DESTITUTION. 

zeal  had  scarcely  dawned  upon  our  churches.     Some  of  his 
eft'orts  for  the  spread  o^  the   Gospel  in  the  city  are  thus 
modestly  related  in  a  memorandum  of  his  own.     "  After 
coming  to  Pliiladelphiaj  I  formed  acquaintance  with  a  num- 
ber of  pious  men  of  other  churches,  and  heard  a  general 
complaint  concerning  the  want  of  activity  and  enterprise.  It 
occurred  to  me  that  there  was  much  which  might  be  done 
by  pious  laymen.     Sabbath  schools  had  not  then  been  intro- 
duced.    I  sat  down  one  day  and  drew  up  a  constitution  for 
an  '  Evangelical  Society/  not  to  raise  funds,  nor  to  employ 
others  to  work,  but  an  association  of  which  every  meinher 
was  to  he  a  working  man.     I  communicated  the  constitution 
to  the  Presbyterian  ministers,  in  order  to  secure  their  ap- 
probation, which  was  readily  granted.     I  then  sent  an  invi- 
tation to  about  twenty  gentlemen  of  zealous  character  in 
the  different   congregations,  most  of  whom  came   together. 
When  I  read  to  them  my  plan,  they  seemed  greatly  pleased, 
and  all  expressed  a  willingness  to  do  something.     The  first 
step  was  to  divide  the  members  into  committees  of  two  each, 
to  go  out  in  the  evening   of  the  Sabbath,  to  gather  the 
children  of  the  poor  in  some  convenient  place,  to  talk  with 
their  parents,  and  read  the  Scriptures  and  other  good  books. 
We  met  the  first  evening' of  each  month  to  hear  reports  and 
to  confer  about  new  methods  of  doing  good.     This  society 
operated  successfully  and  without  any  serious  interruption 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  still  exists  in  a  feeble  state."    Its 
operations  have  since  been  merged  into  the  more  extensive 
plans  of  the   Sunday   School  and  City  Mission  enterprises. 
Several  important  measures  were  carried  into  efiect  by  its 


EVANGELICAL   SOCIETY.  283 

exertions,  particularly  the  erection  of  an  African  churcK 
Several  eminent  laymen  were  trained  in  these  efforts  for 
subsequent  usefulness  ;  among  whom  may  be  named  James 
Moore  and  Francis  Markoe.  The  bearing  of  this  humble  en- 
deavour on  the  great  work  of  city-  missions,  has  induced  us 
to  glean  a  few  additional  particulars  from  one  of  the  surviv- 
ing labourers.  Until  this  society  was  formed,  it  had  been  very 
unusual  among  Presbyterians  to  have  any  rehgious  meetings 
in  the  evening  ;  and  these  were  even  opposed  by  some  good 
people.  The  Sunday  evening  services,  when  once  com- 
menced, were  exceedingly  popular  and  much  crowded. 
Several  licentiates  began  their  ministry  in  these  labours 
among  the  destitute,  which  gave  origin  to  new  churches 
now  in  existence. 

The  enterprise  was  so  novel  and  simple,  and  so  fore- 
ghadowed  later  measures  for  church-extension  and  educa- 
tion, that  we  gladly  add  the  view  derived  from  a  memoran- 
dum for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  venerable  Dr.  Janeway. 
^' When  your  father,"  says  he  to  the  editor,  "came  to  Phil- 
adelphia, there  was  in  existence  a  society  embracing  members 
of  different  denominations  of  Christians,  and  styled  '  The 
Humane  Society.'  As  its  name  imports,  it  was  to  relieve 
the  wants  of  the  poor.  Your  father  originated  a  society, 
called  '  the  Evangelical  Society.'  In  a  certain  stage  of  its 
development  both  Dr.  Green  and  I  became  members,  and 
regularly  attended  its  meetings.  It  then  met  in  the  session- 
room  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  adjoining  the 
church  edifice,  which  then  stood  at  the  corner  of  Arch  and 
Third  streets.     The  object  of  this  society  was  to  carry  the 


284  EVANGELICAL   SOCIETY. 

knowledge  of  the  Gospel  to  the  destitute  in  varic^ns  parts  of 
the  city.  The  members  went,  two  and  two,  to  particular 
districts,  assembled  individuals  where  they  found  convenient 
places,  read  to  them  out  of  the  Scriptures  and  evangelical 
sermons  or  portions  of  books,  and  conversed  and  prayed  with 
them.  These  committees  regularly  reported  to  the  Society 
the  result  of  their  labours. 

"  To  refresh  my  recollections,  and  especially  to  get  a 
knowledge  of  the  origin  of  the  Society,  I  have  twice  con- 
versed with  Mr.  Nassau,  senior,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
Third  Presbyterian  Church,  under  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Mille- 
doler,  and  of  course  when  your  father  succeeded  him  as  pastor 
of  that  church.  He  gives  the  origin  of  the  Society  thus 
On  a  certain  day,  I  think  from  the  pulpit,  your  father  in- 
vited some  of  his  church  members  to  meet  at  his  house. 
When  convened,  he  said  to  them,  ^  Brethren,  I  have  been 
looking  over  the  congregation,  and  think  that  a  number  of 
the  pious  members  may  be  very  usefully  employed  in  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  religion  in  different  places  among  the 
poor  and  ignorant.'  He  detailed  the  plan,  and  they  proposed 
that  he  should  act  as  their  president  ;  but  this  he  declined, 
as  a  needless  formality.  Another  meeting  was  held,  to 
which  more  were  invited.  It  was  afterwards  proposed  to 
embrace  in  the  Society  members  of  other  Presbyterian 
churches.  The  Society  continued  to  act,  I  think,  until 
your  father's  removal  to  Princeton  in  1812."  ••' 

We  find  by  examination  of  the  Religious  Eemembrancer, 

*  Letter  of  the  Kev.  J.  J.  Jane  way,  D.  D.,  July  23,  1853. 


EVANGELICAL    SOriETY.  286 

that  the  Society  was  instituted  on  the  eleventh  day  of  April, 
1808.  The  same  journal,  under  date  of  September  18, 
1813,  says  that  "some  of  the  Committees,  finding  the  work 
to  increase  on  their  hands,  have  thought  it  expedient  to  de- 
vote an  additional  evening  to  the  children,"  and  adds,  that 
"several  convenient  houses  on  different  sites  have  been 
erected,"  for  accommodating  them.  And  it  is  said,  October 
16,  that  "at  the  first  formation  of  the  Society  a  small  sum 
was  subscribed,  which  was  applied  to  the  republishing  of 
several  tracts.'' 

Mr.  William  Bradford  remembers  that  Mr.  Alexander 
was  present  at  the  opening  of  the  Society's  Sunday  evening 
meetings,  for  preaching  and  teaching,  at  the  corner  of  But- 
tonwood  and  Eighth  streets.  The  enterprise  was  novel,  and 
the  meeting  was  so  much  threatened  that  two  constables 
were  employed  to  keep  the  peace.  It  was  a  neighbourhood 
of  butchers,  and  some  one  said  of  it,  "  The  people  will  at- 
tend, and  butcher  the  Evangelicals  afterwards."  These  par- 
ticulars, however  slight  in  themselves,  have  a  manifest 
bearing  on  the  rise  of  certain  great  charities  among  us. 

Among  the  manuscripts  which  belong  to  this  period,  is 
one  which  evidently  connects  itself  with  what  has  just  been 
recited,  and  with  the  great  work  of  City  Missions.  It  is  in 
the  handwriting  of  Dr.  Alexander,  and  is  subjoined  without 
comment. 


"  It  is  a  truly  lamentable  consideration,  that  there  are 
thousands  of  unhappy  persons  in  and  about  this  city  who 


286  PLAN    OF    CITY    MISSION. 

rarely  or  never  hear  the  Gospel.  This  is  especially  the  case 
with  respect  to  many  poor  people  who  are  unable  to  obtain 
pews  in  the  churches,  or  who  are  so  careless  about  their  sal- 
vation as  never  to  have  sought  this  privilege.  Whilst  with 
a  laudable  zeal  we  are  sending  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen, 
and  to  the  ignorant  on  our  frontiers,  is  it  not  also  incumbent 
on  us  to  endeavour,  by  all  practicable  means,  to  bring 
within  its  sound  the  multitudes  in  this  city  who  are  nearly 
as  ignorant  as  heathens  ?  Will  it  not  be  proper  to  show 
charity  at  home,  and  to  use  efforts  to  secure  perishing  soiQs 
from  impending  ruin  ? 

"It  is  believed  that  it  would  be  productive  of  much  good 
to  this  class  of  people,  to  erect  a  free  church,  a  church,  the 
pews  or  seats  of  which  should  never  be  appropriated  to  par- 
ticular persons,  but  left  open  for  all  who  might  choose  at 
any  time  to  occupy  them.  Such  a  church  might  easily  be 
supplied  with  preaching  every  Sunday  evening  by  the  minis- 
ters of  the  city,  and  frequently  in  the  day  by  strangers  who 
may  happen  to  spend  the  Sabbath  in  the  city. 

"  In  order  to  provide  such  a  house,  and  to  devise  and  ex- 
ecute other  plans  for  the  extension  of  religious  knowledge 
among  the  poor  and  ignorant  in  the  City  and  Liberties  of 
Philadelphia,  we  whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed  do 
agree  to  form  ourselves  into  a  Society  ;  and  to  regulate  our 
proceedings  we  have  adopted  the  following  rules  : 

"  1.  The  style  of  the  Society  shall  be.  The  Society  for 
promoting  Religious  Knowledge  among  the  Poor. 

"  2.  Any  person  may  become  a  member  of  this  Society, 
who  shall  contribute  a  sura  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  free 
church  not  less  than  ten  dollars. 


GENERAL    ASSEMBLY.  287 

"  3.  As  soon  as  twenty  subscribers  shall  be  obtained,  a 
meeting  shall  be  held,  at  which  it  shall  be  determined  whe- 
ther there  is  a  sufficient  prospect  of  success  to  proceed  with 
the  undertaking. 

"4.  If  it  shall  be  determined  to  make  the  attempt,  a 
Committee  of  five  persons  shall  be  chosen  by  a  majority  of 
the  subscribers  present,  to  whom  the  whole  arrangement  of 
the  business  shall  be  committed,  and  who  shall  continue  in 
office  until  the  next  regular  meeting  of  the  Society,  when  a 
new  choice  shall  be  made. 

"  5.  When  the  church  contemplated  is  erected,  and  fit  to 
receive  a  congregation,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Committee 
already  mentioned,  to  endeavour  to  have  it  supplied  with  gra- 
tuitous preaching,  at  least  on  every  Sunday  evening. 

"  6.  Any  three  members  of  the  Committee  shall  be  au- 
thorized to  invite  any  preacher  of  any  Christian  denomination 
to  preach  in  the  aforesaid  church. 

"7.  The  Committee  shall  also  take  the  most  effectual 
means  to  give  notice  of  sermons  to  that  class  of  people 
whose  benefit  is  contemplated,  and  to  use  every  proper 
measure  to  induce  them  to  attend. 

"  8.  Subscriptions  of  sums  less  than  ten  dollars  will  be 
thankfully  received,  but  will  not  entitle  the  contributor  to  a 
vote  in  the  deliberations  of  the  Society." 

Mr.  Alexander  was  a  commissioner  to  the  General  Assem- 
bly in  1807,  1808  and  1811,  and  at  the  first  of  these  meet- 
ings was  elected  moderator.  The  following  year,  agreeably 
to  custom,  he  delivered  the  discourse  at  the  opening  of  the 
Assembly.     It  was  published,  and  is  upon  the  text,  1  Cor., 


288  TRACTS. 

xiv.  12,  "  Seek  that  ye  may  excel,  to  the  edifying  of  the 
church/' 

In  the  year  1810,  Mr.  Alexander  received  from  the 
College  of  New  Jersey  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  ;  the  same  distinction  being  at  the  same  time  con- 
ferred on  his  friends  the  Kev.  Moses  Hoge,  and  the  Rev. 
Leonard  Woods. 

Among  other  projects  of  his  scheming  and  inventive 
mind,  we  find  one  or  two  mentioned  in  his  private  reminis- 
cences, which  connect  him  with  enterprises  that  have  since 
become  very  important.  Speaking  of  the  Philadelphia  Bible 
Society,  of  which  Dr.  Rush  was  the  chief  founder,  and  which 
is  the  oldest  in  the  hemisphere,  he  adds  :  ^'  I  made  some 
exertion  to  have  a  small  Tract  Society  established,  but  the 
attempt  was  not  successful.  William  Bradford  did  indeed 
print  a  few  tracts,  and  Alexander  Henry  aided  in  paying 
the  expense."  Mr.  Bradford,  who  still  survives,  relates  that 
about  1808  or  1809,  Mr.  Alexander  urged  him  to  print  Mrs. 
More's  "  Coelebs,''  in  order  to  correct  the  taste  of  female 
readers  for  romances  ;  which  he  accordingly  did.  Having 
printed  the  tract  ^^  Jack  Covey,''  he  applied  to  Mr.  Alexander 
to  fill  two  blank  pages  with  prayers.  The  reply  was  that  he- 
had  never  written  one,  but  the  next  day  he  brought  him  a 
prayer  of  a  pious  seaman  before,  and  another  after  a  storm, 
which  were  printed.  Mr.  Alexander  strongly  encouraged 
the  primitive  Tract  Society,  the  "Philadelphia  Tract  So- 
ciety/' which  had  its  origin  in  Mr.  Bradford's  reprinting  of 
that  incomparable  narrative,  "  Poor  Joseph,"  which  he  re- 
ceived from  Dr.  Green. 


CALL   TO    GEORGIA.  289 

"  In  considering  the  wants  of  the  people  and  the  diffi- 
culty of  reaching  the  multitude  with  religious  instruction, 
I  conceived  the  plar.  of  a  rehgious  [newspaper],  a  thing  at 
that  time  unknown  in  the  world.  But  as  the  thins:  was 
new,  I  mentioned  [it]  to  none  hut  two  or  three  of  my  elders  ; 
and  it  met  with  approbation.  It  was  suggested  that  we  had 
a  printer,  who  was  a  well  informed  young  man,  John  W. 
Scott.  I  conversed  with  him,  and  he  drew  up  a  well- written 
hut  rather  florid  Address,  to  accompany  a  Prospectus. 
Before  the  plan  was  carried  into  effect,  I  was  removed  to 
Princeton  ;  but  Mr.  Scott  went  forward  with  the  enterprise, 
and  published  for  a  number  of  years,  before  any  other  work 
of  the  kind  was  thought  of,  The  Christian  Rememhrancer. 
We  talked  of  getting  some  tracts  for  the  sailors,  and  I  com- 
posed a  few  prayers  for  their  use,  which  Mr.  Bradford  printed. 
We  then  saw  no  way  of  extending  religious  instruction  to 
that  class  of  men  ;  but  Providence  afterwards  opened  the 
way  for  much  good,  by  means  of  Bethel  meetings,  and 
the  like." 

It  is  worthy  of  record,  that  in  the  year  1810,  Mr.  Alex- 
ander was  elected  President  of  the  University  of  Georgia,  and 
was  solicited  with  importunity  to  assume  that  important 
place.  The  fact  was  unknown  even  to  his  children,  until 
revealed  by  his  posthumous  papers. 

During  the  last  year  of  Dr.  Alexander's  abode  in  Phila- 
delphia, an  event  of  signal  calamity  drew  his  sympathies 
towards  his  native  State.  It  is  thus  related  in  a  journal 
of  the  day.  "  On  the  night  of  December  26, 1811,  the  theatre 
in  the  city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  was  unusually  crowded  ; 


290  BURNING   OF   THEATRE. 

a  new  play  having  drawn  together  an  assembly  of  not  lesc 
than  six  hundred  persons.  Toward  the  close  of  the  per- 
formance, just  before  the  last  act  of  the  concluding  panto- 
mime, the  scenery  caught  fire  from  a  lamp  inadvertently 
raised  to  an  improper  position,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
whole  building  was  wrapped  in  flames.  The  doors  being 
few,  and  the  avenues  leading  to  them  extremely  narrow,  the 
scene  which  ensued  was  truly  one  of  horror.  It  may  be  in 
some  degree  imagined,  but  can  never  be  adequately  described. 
About  seventy-five  persons  perished  in  the  flames.  Among 
these  were  the  Governor  of  the  State  ;  the  President  of  the 
Bank  of  Virginia ;  one  of  the  most  eminent  attorneys  be- 
longing to  the  bar  of  the  commonwealth  ;  a  number  of  other 
respectable  gentlemen  ;  and  about  fifty  females,  of  whom  a 
large  portion  were  among  the  ladies  of  the  greatest  conspi- 
cuity  and  fashion  in  the  city."  When  the  direful  news 
reached  Philadelphia,  a  meeting  was  held  on  New  Year's 
Day,  of  more  than  one  hundred  Virginians,  being  part  of 
the  Medical  Class  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  who, 
after  suitable  resolutions  of  condolence,  requested  Dr.  Alex- 
ander to  deliver  a  discourse  on  the  mournful  occasion.  We 
well  remember  the  solemn  procession  from  the  University  to 
the  church,  and  the  throng  of  the  agitated  assembly.  The 
sermon  was  published,  and  though  unquestionably  the  most 
hurried  production  of  its  author,  contains  some  passages 
which  deserve  to  be  remembered.  The  text  was  Romans 
xii.  15,  "  Weep  with  them  that  weep  ; "  and  it  was  intro- 
duced by  some  remarks  on  the  sympathetic  benignity  of  the 
Gospel. 


RICHMOND   THEATRE.  291 

"  One  leading  difference  between  the  system  of  morals 
prescribed  by  the  Stoics,  and  that  inculcated  by  Christianity, 
is,  that  while  the  former  aims  at  eradicating  the  passions, 
the  latter  endeavours  to  regulate  them  and  direct  them  into 
their  proper  channels.  The  great  Author  of  our  being  has 
implanted  the  principle  of  sympathy  deeply  in  human  na- 
ture, and  has  made  the  susceptibility  of  feeling  the  sorrows 
of  another,  as  extensive  as  the  race  of  man.  It  is  common 
to  the  untutored  savage  and  the  man  of  refinement  and  edu- 
cation ;  and  traces  of  it  are  discovered  even  in  the  animal 
creation.  This  principle  of  sympathy,  while  it  indicates  the 
unity  of  our  species,  seems  to  form  a  mysterious  bond  of 
connection  between  all  its  members.  The  spectacle  of  suf- 
fering humanity,  however  great  a  stranger  the  object  may 
be,  will  always  excite  our  sensibility,  unless  the  feelings  be 
blunted  by  vicious  indulgence,  restrained  by  prejudice,  or 
extinguished  by  the  long  prevalence  of  mahgnant  passions. 
Genuine  pity,  and  compassion  for  objects  of  real  distress, 
have  been  perverted  and  almost  quenched,  in  a  multitude  of 
persons,  by  the  artificial  excitement  of  spurious  feelings,  pro- 
duced by  scenes  of  fictitious  distress  ;  which  tend  to  no 
valuable  end,  and  are  sought  only  for  the  momentary  grati- 
fication of  the  possessor.  But  however  sympathy  may  be 
abused,  it  has  its  proper  and  legitimate  exercise,  to  whioh 
we  are  not  only  prompted  by  nature,  but  directed  by  reason 
and  exhorted  by  religion.  There  are  occasions,  when  not  to 
'weep  with  them  that  vreep,"  would  be  rebellion  against 
every  principle  which  ought  to  govern  us.  If  the  sufferings 
of  an  enemy  may  be  such  as  to  affect  us — if  we  are  excited 


392  SERMOl^. 

to  weep  at  tlie  woes  of  a  stranger — what  must  our  feelings 
be,  when  we  recognise  in  the  cry  of  unutterable  anguish  the 
well-known  voice  of  an  acquaintance,  a  friend,  a  brother  or 
a  sister  ?  Such  a  cry  of  distress,  from  the  capital  of  our  na- 
tive State,  has  pierced  our  ears,  and  filled  our  hearts  with 
grief  The  sons  of  Virginia,  resident  in  this  place,  are  to- 
day called  upon  to  mourn,  and  to  mingle  their  sympathetic 
tears  with  those  of  the  whole  State." 

After  some  allusion  to  the  distinguished  names  in  the 
catalogue  of  the  dead,  the  preacher  indulges  in  a  few  rapid 
pictures,  which  however  uncommon  in  his  severer  printed 
works,  were  not  unfrequent  in  his  extemporaneous  discourses, 
and  which  for  this  reason  ought  to  be  preserved.  "  That," 
he  continues,  ^*  which  winds  up  our  sympathies  to  the 
highest  pitch,  is,  that  the  greater  part  were  young  women 
in  the  very  bloom  and  prime  of  life.  About  one  half  the 
names  in  the  whole  catalogue  are  of  this  description.  0  ! 
who  can  think,  without  exquisite  anguish,  of  so  many  gay 
and  blooming  virgins,  decorated  with  the  charms  of  beauty, 
accomplished  by  the  refinements  of  art,  tender  and  delicate 
to  excess,  and  accustomed  only  to  endearments  and  caresses, 
perishing  by  a  death  so  cruel,  and  by  torments  so  excruciat- 
ing !  Who  can  describe  the  chasm  which  has  been  made  in 
numerous  families,  and  the  agony  which  has  been,  and  is 
still  endured  !  Tell  us,  ye  bereaved  mothers  (if  words  can 
express  it),  the  pangs  which  have  rent  your  breaking,  hearts, 
since  you  beheld  the  scorched,  bruised,  and  disfigured  re- 
mains of  your  once  beautiful  daughters.  '  In  Rama,'  of  old, 
*  a  voice  of  lamentation,  and  weeping,  and  great  mourning, 


SERMON.  293 

was  heard  :  Rachel  weeping  for  her  children,  and  would  not 
be  comforted,  because  they  are  not/  How  many  inconso- 
lable Rachels  are  there  this  day,  who  weep  for  their  children 
and  refuse  to  be  comforted.  The  hoary  head  of  the  indul- 
gent father  too  must  now  come  down  with  sorrow  to  the 
grave.  Perhaps  the  last  prop  and  solace  of  his  declining 
years,  as  well  as  the  darHng  of  his  heart,  is  for  ever  gone 
from  his  sight.  The  helpless  widow  and  the  orphan  chil- 
dren also  lift  up  their  deploring  hands  and  their  streaming 
eyes  to  heaven,  exj^ressing  thereby  feelings  of  grief  and 
agony,  to  which  ail  words  are  inadequate.  And  why  need  I 
attempt  to  describe  the  poignant  pangs  of  the  disappointed 
lover  (the  day  of  whose  nuptials  perhaps  was  fixed),  as  he 
beholds  the  form  which  he  idolized  changed  into  a  frightful 
skeleton. 

"  But  the  shock  is  felt  not  only  in  the  city  of  Richmond, 
but  in  remote  parts  of  the  State.  Several  who  perished  in 
the  flames  resided  at  a  distance.  With  some,  perhaps,  iPt 
was  the  first  visit  of  any  length  which  they  ever  made  from 
their  father's  house.  Methinks  I  see  the  fond  mother  taking 
the  last  leave  of  her  beloved  daughter,  little  suspecting  that 
it  is  the  last.  Or  shall  I  fancy  that  some  unaccountable 
foreboding  seizes  her  mind  and  oppresses  her  heart,  as  the 
object  of  her  hopes  and  fears  is  carried  from  her  sight  ? 

"  But  who  shall  imagine  what  her  situation  and  feelings 
are,  when  the  day  arrives  which  shall  bring  a  letter  from 
her  affectionate  child  !  .  A  letter  comes,  it  is  true  ;  but  what 
horror  chills  the  blood,  when  it  is  seen  not  to  be  inscribed 
in  the  well-known  hand  of  the  dear  girl,  and  to  be  ad 
dressed  to  the  father   instead  of   the   mother.      I  see  his 


294 


RICHMOND    THEATRE. 


veteran  hand  tremble  while  he  breaks  the  ominous  seal 
And  the  countenance  which  had  remained  unmoved,  while 
death  was  braved  at  the  cannon's  mouth,  now  turns  pale  as 
ashes,  when  he  reads  the  few  incoherent  sentences,  by  which 
he  is  made  to  realize  more  than  ever  the  gloomiest  hour  had 
painted  on  his  imagination.  These  remarks  are  suggested 
by  the  recollection  of  a  modest  and  amiable  young  lady, 
whom  I  happened  to  see  last  summer,  in  company  with  a 
pious  mother,  at  a  solemn  religious  meeting,  where  she  ap- 
peared to  be  deeply  interested,  and  to  enter  very  devotionally 
into  the  exercises  of  the  day  ;  but  alas  !  in  looking  over  the 
melancholy  list,  I  find  her  name  enrolled.  She  perished  in 
the  flames  on  the  fatal  twenty-sixth  of  December. 

"  I  feel  it  to  be  incumbent  on  me  ...  .  to  give  my  public 
testimony  against  [theatrical  exhibitions]  as  being,  notwith- 
standing the  partial  good  which  may  result  from  them, 
unfriendly  to  piety — unfriendly  to  morality — unfriendly  to 
li^alth — unfriendly  to  domestic  happiness — and  unfriendly 
to  true  delicacy  and  genuine  refinement." 

The  peroration  is  as  follows.  "Finally,  permit  me  to 
conclude  this  discourse,  by  considering  the  dispensation, 
which  has  convened  us  this  day,  in  the  light  of  a  solemn 
warning.  Yes,  my  hearers,  if  ever  the  trumpet  of  a  right- 
eous Providence  sounded  loudly  in  our  ears,  it  doth  so  this 
day.  The  voice  is  alarming.  Let  no  weak  notions  of  accident 
and  second  causes  keep  you  from  observing  the  frowns  of 
heaven;  which  lower  over  us.  Think  not  that  these  were 
sinners  above  all  who  dwell  in  the  land,  because  they  sufiered 
such  things.  '  I  tell  you  nay  ;  but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shaU 
all  likewise  perish.' 


SERMON.  295 

''  Often,  since  the  ominous  and  fatal  handwriting  on  the 
wall  caused  the  proud  king  of  Babylon  to  shake  with  terror 
in  tlie  midst  of  his  profane  mirth  and  riot,  has  the  awful 
transition  from  the  gay  scenes  of  dfesipation,  to  the  shades 
of  death,  been  made  in  the  period  of  a  single  night.  Often 
have  the  votaries  of  pleasure  been  hurried  from  the  festive 
board,  the  merry  dance,  the  opera  and  play — and  what  is 
still  more  dreadful,  from  scenes  of  excess  and  debauchery— 
into  eternity,  to  answer  for  their  deeds  before  the  tremendous 
bar  of  God.  Keceive  the  warning,  then,  and  ^suffer  the 
word  of  exhortation.'  The  views  and  impressions  produced 
by  this  deplorable  occurrence,  however  painful  at  the  present, 
jaay  be  precious  in  their  effects,  and  should  not  be  allowed 
to  pass  off  without  originating  such  resolutions  and  purposes, 
as  shall  become  the  foundation  of  a  new  course  of  life.  You 
may  never  in  the  whole  period  of  your  lives  find  a  season  so 
favourable,  to  shake  off  the  undue  influence  of  the  world, 
and  to  break  with  every  darling  lust  and  besetting  sin.  M^ 
last  advice,  therefore,  is,  become  real  Christians.  Make 
religion  a  personal  concern.  Attend  to  it  without  delay. 
'Kemember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth.' 
And  may  the  God  of  all  grace  crown  the  exercises  of  this 
day  with  his  blessing,  for  Christ's  sake  !     Amen." 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  as  belonging  to  a  parallel  between 
two  long  and  blended  lives,  that  the  Reverend  Dr.  Miller  in 
New- York  preached  and  published  a  discourse,  commemora- 
tive of  the  Hame  afflictive  event.  It  was  upon  Lamentations, 
ii.  1 — 13,  and  contains  an  able  and  elaborate  argument 
against  theatrical  amusements. 


CHAPTER   TWELFTH. 
1811—1812. 

THEOLOGIOAL     SEMINARY     PROJECTED ELECTION     OF    PROFESSOR REMOVAl 

TO    PRINCETON— STUDIES   AND   ATTAINMENTS — INAUGURATION. 

IT  cannot  now  be  ascertained  by  whom  the  scheme  of  a 
Theological  Seminary  for  the  Presbyterian  Church  was 
first  suggested.  In  the  measures  which  resulted  in  such  an 
institution,  many  minds  co-operated.  Among  these  we  may 
safely  say  none  were  more  prominent  than  Doctors  Green, 
Miller  and  Alexander,  The  increasing  fields  open  for  Gospel 
labour,  caused  not  a  few  among  our  ministers  to  be  devising 
methods  for  supplying  the  destitutions.  It  was  also  gen- 
erally believed  that  the  method  of  pursuing  studies  in  pre- 
paration for  the  ministry,  under  the  guidance  of  individual 
pastors,  however  valuable  as  a  measure  of  necessity,  could 
not  be  relied  on,  as  the  means  of  furnishing  adequate  train- 
ing for  the  work  of  so  great  a  country.  In  regard  to  the 
education  of  candidates  in  general,  Dr.  Green,  as  early  as 
1805,  sent  into  the  General  Assembly  an  overture,  ad- 
dressed to  the  Committee  of  Overtures,  which  was  received 
with  80  much    fovour  as  to    be    published    in    the   printed 


SEMINARY    PROPOSED.  297 

minutes  of  the  year  with  his  name,  and  which  originated  a 
system  of  measures  which  occupied  this  judicatory  for  several 
years.  This  admirable  paper,  however,  did  not  contain  any 
proposal  of  a  theological  institution.  Of  this  particular 
method  of  raising  up  a  suitable  ministry,  the  earliest  men- 
tion which  we  have  been  able  to  discover  is  in  a  discourse 
preached  by  Dr.  Alexander  in  1808,  before  the  General 
Assembly,  of  which  he  had  been  Moderator  the  year  before. 
The  passage  is  as  follows  : 

"  I  will  now  make  a  few  remarks  on  the  subject  of  purity, 
as  it  respects  the  discipline  of  the  church.  The  first  thing 
here  which  deserves  our  attention,  is  the  introduction  of  suit- 
able men  into  the  ministry.  If  you  would  have  a  well-dis- 
ciplined army,  you  must  begin  by  appointing  good  officers. 
There  is  no  subject  which  more  deserves  the  attention  of  our 
church  when  met  in  General  Assembly  than  this.  The  defi- 
ciency of  preachers  is  great.  Our  vacancies  are  numerous, 
and  often  continue  for  years  unsupplied,  by  which  means 
they  are  broken  up  or  destroyed.  Our  seminaries  of  learning, 
although  increasing  in  literature  and  numbers,  furnish  us 
with  few  preachers.  This  state  of  affairs  calls  loudly  for 
your  attention.  Some  measures  have  already  been  adopted 
by  the  recommendation  of  the  General  Assembly  to  remedy 
this  evil ;  but  although  they  promise  considerable  success, 
they  are  inadequate  to  the  object.  In  my  opinion,  we 
shall  not  have  a  regular  and  sufficient  supply  of  well-quali- 
fied ministers  of  the  Gospel,  until  every  Presbytery,  or  at 
least  every  Synod,  shall  have  under  its  direction  a  seminary 
*^tablished  for  the  single  purpose  of  educating  youth  for  th« 


298 


DR.    green's   overture. 


ministry,  in  whicl:  the  course  of  education  from  its  com- 
mencement shaL*  be  directed  to  this  object  ;  for  it  is  mucL 
to  be  doubted  wnether  the  system  of  education  pursued  in 
our  colleges  and  universities  is  the  best  adapted  to  prepare  a 
young  man  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  The  great  exten- 
sion of  the  physical  sciences,  and  the  taste  and  fashion  of  the 
age,  have  given  such  a  shape  and  direction  to  the  academical 
course,  that  I  confess,  it  appears  to  me  to  be  little  adapted 
to  introduce  a  youth  to  the  study  of  the  sacred  Scriptures." 

In  reference  to  these  remarks,   Dr.  Green  says  in  his 
Autobiography  :  "  Encouraged  by  this,  I  used  all  my  influ- 
ence in  favour  of  the  measure  ;  and  in  1809,  the  Presbytery 
of  Philadelphia,  to  which  I  belonged,  sent  into  the  General 
Assembly  of  that  year  an  overture  distinctly  proposing  the 
establishment   of  a  theological  school.     The  committee  to 
which  the  overture  was  referred,  reported  to  the  Assembly 
three  i)lans,  namely:  1.  'One  great   school,  in  some  con- 
venient place  near  the  centre  of  the  bounds  of  our  church. 
2.  To  establish  two  such  schools  in  such  places  as  may  best 
accommodate  the  northern  and   southern   divisions   of   the 
Church.     3.  To  establish  such  a  school  within  the  bounds  of 
each  of  the  Synods.     After  stating  the  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages of  each  of  these  modes,  the  committee  recom- 
mended and  the  Assembly  resolved,  that  the  above  plans  be 
submitted  to  all  the  Presbyteries  within  the  bounds  of  the 
General  Assembly,  for  their  consideration,  and  that  they  be 
careful  to  send   up  to  the  next  Assembly  at  their  sessions 
in  May,  1810,  their  opinions  on  the  subject.'     When  the 
votes  of  the  Presbyteries  came  to  be  examined  by  a  commit* 


299 

tee  appointed  for  the  purpose  in  1810,  it  appeared  that  a 
majority  of  the  Presbyteries  under  the  care  of  the  Assembly 
had  expressed  a  decided  opinion  in  favour  of  the  estabhsh- 
ment  of  a  theological  school  ;  and  that  although  there  was 
an  equal  number  of  Presbyteries  in  favour  of  the  first  and 
third  plans  above  mentioned,  yet  there  were  those  who  had 
voted  in  favour  of  the  third  plan,  who  had  done  so  from  an 
entire  misconception  of  the  nature  and  intention  of  the  first, 
which  would  be  completely  obviated  when  the  details  of  that 
plan  should  be  made  known.  The  conclusion  therefore  was 
'  that  there  was  a  greater  amount  of  presbyterial  suffrage  in 
favour  of  a  single  school  than  of  any  other  plan/  Several 
resolutions  were  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  (which  I 
shall  not  transcribe)  for  the  immediate  establishment  of  the 
contemplated  institution  ;  and  a  committee  was  appointed, 
of  which  I  was  the  chairman,  to  draught  a  plan,  as  the  consti- 
tution of  a  theological  seminary.  The  draughting  of  a  plan 
fell  of  course  upon  me,  as  the  chairman  of  the  committee. 
In  hope  of  getting  aid  from  my  fellow  members,  I  requested 
the  committee  i'O  meet  in  New- York,  at  the  house  of  Dr. 
Miller.  The  committee  consisted  of  seven  members,  and 
if  I  remember  right,  but  four  of  them  met.  We  however 
spent  the  afternoon  m  talking  about  the  plan  of  the  contem- 
plated seminary.  But  when  I  sat  seriously  down  to  make  a 
draught  of  the  plan,  I  found  that  there  was  but  one  idea 
suggested  by  my  brethren,  that  I  could  introduce  into  it. 
Nor  had  I  any  other  guide  than  the  nature  of  the  subject ; 
and  if  I  ever  taxed  my  faculties  to  their  best  effort,  it  was 
•jn  this  occasion.     Two  of  the  articles  of  the  plan,  when  it 


300  DR.  gkeen's  plan. 

was  reported  to  the  Assembly,  were  laid  ever  to  bo  considered 
in  the  following  year,  .ind  to  this  day  they  have  not  been 
taken  up — these  articles  related  to  the  library  and  a  theo- 
logical academy. 

"  When  I  had  completed  a  draught  of  the  plan  for  the 
construction  of  the  Seminary,  I  summoned  the  committee 
to  meet  at  Princeton,  on  the  day  of  Commencement,  1810. 
There  was  a  general,  but  not  a  full  attendance  at  that  time  ; 
and  I  shall  never  forget  with  what  diffidence  I  submitted 
my  draught  to  my  brethren,  not  only  being  willing,  but 
wishing  that  they  would  suggest  alterations  and  improve- 
ments, and  I  w^as  surprised  when  they  suggested  none  of 
any  importance.  We  knew  that  it  was  cum  2>ericulo  that 
our  plan  should  be  published  before  it  was  reported  to  the 
Assembly.  But  we  determined  to  do  it,  and  to  have  copies 
enough  printed  to  lay  one  on  the  table  of  every  member  of  the 
Assembly  of  the  following  year^  1811.  We  were  not  blamed 
for  this  act  by  any  one ;  on  the  contrary,  the  members  of 
the  Assembly  appeared  to  be  gratified  when  they  found  that 
each  was  served  with  a  copy.  This  plan  has  received  a  con- 
siderable number  of  modifications  by  the  General  Assemblies 
which  have  convened  during  the  three  and  thirty  years 
which  ha\e  elapsed  since  its  first  adoption  ;  and  yet  no  im- 
portant feature  of  the  plan  has  been  changed,  and  more  than 
three  fourths  of  the  language  remains  as  it  was  in  the  orignal 
composition.'* 

On  a  subject  so  important  in  itself,  and  so  closely  related 
to  our  chief  subject,  we  may  be  allowed  to  go  into  some  par- 
ticulars, by  inserting  the  brief  history  of  the  project,  pre- 
pared, as  we  l^elicvc,  by  tlie  Eev.  Pr.  Miller. 


ORIGIN    OF    SEMINARY.  301 

"  After  much  counsel  and  prayer,  the  proposal  to  estab- 
lish a  theological  seminary  for  the  Presbyterian  Church  was 
first  introduced  into  the  General  Assembly,  during  the  ses- 
sions of  that  body  in  May,  A.  d.  1809.  It  was  introduced 
in  the  form  of  an  overture  or  proposal  from  the  Presbytery 
of  Philadelphia.  This  overture  was  so  far  countenanced  by 
the  Assembly  as  to  be  referred  to  a  select  committee,  who, 
after  due  deliberation  on  the  subject,  brought  in  the  follow- 
ing report,  which,  being  read,  was  adopted,  and  became  the 
art  of  the  Assembly,  in  the  following  words,  viz. 

*' '  The  committee  appointed  on  the  subject  of  a  theo- 
logical school,  overtured  from  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia, 
report, 

"  ^  That  three  modes  oi  compassing  this  important  ob- 
ject have  presented  themselves  to  their  consideration. 

"  •  The ;/iTst  is,  to  establish  one  great  school,  in  some  con- 
venient place  near  the  centre  of  the  bounds  of  our  Church. 

"  ^  The  second  is,  to  establish  tivo  such  schools,  in  such 
places  as  may  best  accommodate  the  northern  and  southern 
divisions  of  the  Church. 

" '  The  third  is,  to  establish  such  a  school  within  the 
bounds  01  each  of  the  Synods.  In  this  case,  your  committee 
suggest  the  propriety  of  leaving  it  to  each  Synod  to  direct 
the  mode  of  forming  the  school,  and  the  place  where  it  shall 
be  established. 

"  ^  The  advantages  attending  the  first  of  the  proposed 
modes,  are,  that  it  would  be  furnished  with  larger  funds, 
and  therefore  with  a  more  extensive  library  and  a  greater 
number  of  professors.     The  system  of  education  pursued  in 


302  KKl'UUT    Ob-    COMMITTEE. 

it  would  therefore  be  more  extensive,  and  more  perfect  ;  th« 
youth  educated  in  it  would  also  become  more  united  in  the 
same  views,  and  contract  an  early  and  lasting  friendship  for 
each  other  ;  circumstances  which  would  not  fail  of  promoting 
harmony  and  prosperity  in  the  Church.  The  disadvantages 
attending  this  mode  would'  be,  principally,  those  derived 
from  the  distance  of  its  position  from  the  extremities  of  the 
Presbyterian  bounds. 

"  ^  The  advantages  attending  the  second  of  the  proposed 
modes  and  the  disadvantages,  will  readily  suggest  themselves, 
from  a  comparison  of  this  with  the  other  two. 

'  The  advantages  which  would  attend  the  third,  to 
wit,  the  establishment  of  theological  schools  by  the  respective 
Synods,  would  be  the  following.  The  local  situation  of  the 
respective  schools  would  be  peculiarly  convenient  for  the 
several  parts  of  a  country  so  extensive,  as  that  for  the  bene- 
fit of  which  they  were  designed.  The  inhabitants  having 
the  seminaries  brought  near  to  them,  would  feel  a  pecuhar 
interest  in  their  prosperity,  and  may  be  rationally  expected 
to  contribute  much  more  liberally  than  to  any  single  school, 
or  even  to  two.  The  Synods,  also,  having  the  immediate 
care  of  them,  and  directing,  either  in  person  or  by  delegation, 
all  their  concerns,  would  feel  a  similar  interest,  and  would 
probably  be  better  pleased  with  a  system  formed  by  them- 
selves, and  therefore  peculiarly  suited  to  the  wishes  and  in- 
terests of  the  several  parts  of  the  Church  immediately  under 
their  direction.  Greater  efforts,  therefore,  may  be  expected 
from  ministers  and  people,  to  promote  the  prosperity  of 
these  schools,  than  of  any  other.     The  disadvantages  of  this 


KEPORT   OF  COMMITTEE.  303 

mode  would  be,  the  inferiority  of  the  funds  ;  a  smaller  num- 
ber of  professors  ;  a  smaller  library ,  and  a  more  limited 
system  of  education  in  each.  The  students,  also,  as  now. 
vTould  be  strangers  to  each  other. 

^' '  Should  the  last  of  these  modes  be  adopted,  your  com- 
mittee are  of  the  opinion,  that  every  thing  pertaining  to 
the  erection  and  conduct  of  each  school,  should  be  left  to 
the  direction  of  the  respective  Synods.  If  either  of  the  first, 
the  whole  should  be  subject  to  the  control  of  the  Genera] 
Assembly. 

"  ^  Your  committee  also  suggest,  that,  in  the  former  of 
these  cases,  the  funds  for  each  school  should  be  raised  within 
the  bounds  of  the  Synod  within  which  it  was  stationed.  In 
the  latter,  they  should  be  collected  from  the  whole  body  of 
the  Church. 

"  ^  Your  committee,  therefore,  submit  the  following  reso- 
lution, to  wit : 

"  '  Resolved,  That  the  above  plans  be  submitted  to  all  the 
Presbyteries  within  the  bounds  of  the  General  Assembly,  for 
their  consideration  ;  and  that  they  be  careful  to  send  up  to 
the  next  Assembly,  at  their  sessions  in  May,  1810,  their 
opinions  on  the  subject.' 

"  Agreeably  to  this  resolution,  the  three  alternate  plans 
which  it  contemplates,  were  sent  down  to  all  the  Presby- 
teries, to  be  considered  and  decided  upon  by  them. 

"  At  the  meeting  of  the  next  General  Assembly,  in  May, 
1810,  the  Presbyteries  were  called  upon  to  state  what  they 
had  respectively  done  with  respect  to  the  recommendation 
of  the  l-^t  Assembly,  relative  to  the  establishment  of  a  theo- 


304  KEPOliT    OF    COMMITTEE. 

logical  school.  The  reports  from  the  several  Presbyteries  on 
this  subject,  having  been  read,  were  referred  to  a  select  com- 
mittee to  consider  and  report  on  the  same.  This  committee 
made  a  report,  which,  being  read  and  amended,  was  adopted, 
as  follows,  viz.  : 

" '  The  committee,  after  maturely  deliberating  on  the 
subject  committed  to  them,  submit  to  the  Assembly  the 
following  results. 

"  *  I.  It  is  evident,  that  not  only  a  majority  of  the  Pres- 
byteries which  have  reported  on  this  subject,  but  also  a 
majority  of  all  the  Presbyteries  under  the  care  of  this  Assem- 
bly, have  expressed  a  decided  opinion  in  favour  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  theological  school  or  schools  in  our  Church. 
"  '  II.  It  appears  to  the  committee,  that  although  ac- 
cording to  the  statement  already  reported  to  the  Assembly, 
there  is  an  equal  number  of  Presbyteries  in  favour  of  the  first 
plan,  which  contemplates  a  single  school  for  the  whole 
Church  ;  and  in  favour  of  the  third  plan,  which  contemplates 
tlie  erection  of  a  school  in  each  Synod  ;  yet,  as  several  of 
the  objections  made  to  the  first  plan,  are  founded  entirely 
Du  misconception,''-  and  will  be  completely  obviated  by  de- 

*  "Some  of  the  Presbyteries  objected  to  a  single  tlieological  seminary,  for 
the  whole  Church,  because  they  apprehended  that^  if  this  plan  were  adopted, 
every  Presbytery  would  become  thereby  hound  to  send  all  their  candidates 
to  stud}'  in  it,  however  inconvenient  or  expensive  it  might  be.  Others  were 
fearful,  that  the  Professors,  in  such  a  seminary,  if  they  wei-e  not  formally 
empowered  to  license  candidates  to  jjreach  the  Gospel,  might  be  clothed 
with  powers  out  of  wliich  such  an  abuse  would  naturally  grow,  thereby  en 
iangering  both  the  purity  and  peace  of  the  Church,  and  giving  to  a  few  men 


REPORT    OF    COMMITTEE.  305 

veloping  the  details  of  that  plan  ;  it  seems  fairly  to  follow 
that  there  is  a  greater  amount  of  Presbyterial  suffrage  in 
favour  of  a  single  school,  than  of  any  other  plan. 

"  ^  III.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  committee  are  of 
opinion,  that,  as  much  light  has  been  obtained  from  the 
reports  of  Presbyteries  on  this  subject,  as  would  be  likely  to 
result  from  a  renewal  of  the  reference  :  that  no  advantage 
will  probably  arise  from  further  delay  in  this  important  con- 
cern ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  much  serious  inconvenience  and 
evil ;  that  the  present  General  Assembly  is  bound  to  attempt 
to  carry  into  execution  some  one  of  the  plans  proposed  ;  and 
that  the  first  plan  appearing  to  have,  on  the  whole,  the 
greatest  share  of  public  sentiment  in  its  favour,  ought  of 
course  to  be  adopted. 

"  ^  IV.  Your  committee,  therefore,  recommend  that  the 
present  General  Assembly  declare  its  approbation  and 
adoption  of  this  plan,  and  immediately  commence  a  course 
of  measures  for  carrying  it  into  execution,  as  promptly  and 
extensively  as  possible  ;  and  for  this  purpose  they  recom- 
mend to  the  Assembly  the  adoption  of  the  following  reso- 
lutions, viz.  : — 

"  ^  Besolved,  1.  That  the  state  of  our  churches,  the  loud 
and  affecting  call  of  destitute  frontier  settlements,  and  the 
laudable  exertions  of  various  Christian  denominations  around 
us,  all  demand  that  the  collected  wisdom,  piety,  and  zeal  of 

▼ery  dangerous  influence.  It  was  for  the  purpose  of  obviating  these,  and  other 
objections  to  a  single  seminary,  that  the  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth  resolutions, 
in  a  subsequent  page,  were  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly." 


306  REPORT    OF    COMMITTEE. 

the  Presbyterian  Church  be,  without  delay,  called  into 
action  for  furnishing  the  Church  with  a  larger  sup^jly  of  able 
and  faithful  ministers. 

"  ^  2.  That  the  General  Assembly  will,  in  the  name  of  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church,  immediately  attempt  to  estabhsh 
a  seminary  for  securing  to  candidates  for  the  ministry  a  more 
extensive  and  efficient  theological  instruction  than  they  have 
heretofore  enjoyed.  The  local  situation  of  this  seminary  is 
hereafter  to  be  determined. 

"  ^  3.  That  in  this  seminary,  when  completely  organized, 
there  shall  be  at  least  three  professors,  who  shall  be  elected 
by  and  hold  their  office  during  the  pleasure  of  the  General 
Assembly,  and  who  shall  give  a  regular  course  of  instruction 
in  divinity,  in  oriental  and  biblical  literature,  and  in  eccle- 
siastical history  and  church  government,  and  on  such  other 
subjects  as  may  be  deemed  necessary.  It  being,  however, 
understood,  that  until  sufficient  funds  can  be  obtained  for 
the  complete  organization  and  support  of  the  proposed  semi- 
nary, a  smaller  number  of  professors  than  three  may  be 
appointed  to  commence  the  business  of  instruction. 

"  '  4.  That  exertions  be  made  to  provide  such  an  amount 
of  funds  for  this  seminary  as  will  enable  its  conductors  to 
itFord  gratuitous  instruction,  and  w^here  it  is  necessary,  gra- 
tuitous support  to  all  such  students  as  may  not  themselves 
possess  adequate  pecuniary  means. 

"  ^  5.  That  the  Rev.  Doctors  Green,  Woodhull,  Romeyn, 
and  Miller,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Archibald  Alexander,  James 
Richards,  and  Amzi  Armstrong,  be  a  committee  to  digest 
«.nd  prepare  a  plan  of  a  theological  seminary,  embracing  in 


REPORT    OF    COMMITTEE.  307 

detail  tne  fundamental  principles  of  the  institution,  together 
with  regulations  for  guiding  the  conduct  of  the  instructors 
and  the  students,  and  prescribing  the  best  mode  of  visiting, 
controlling,  and  supporting  the  whole  system.  This  plan  to 
be  reported  to  the  next  General  Assembly. 

"  '  6.  That,  as  filling  the  Church  with  a  learned  and  able 
ministry  without  a  corresponding  portion  of  real  piety,  would 
be  a  curse  to  the  world  and  an  offence  to  God  and  his  peo- 
ple, so  the  General  Assembly  think  it  their  duty  to  state, 
that  in  establishing  a  seminary  for  training  up  ministers,  it  is 
their  earnest  desire  to  guard  as  far  as  possible  against  so 
great  an  evil.  And  they  do  hereby  solemnly  pledge  them- 
selves to  the  churches  under  tteir  care,  that  in  forming  and 
carrying  into  execution  the  plan  of  the  proposed  seminary, 
it  will  be  their  endeavour  to  make  it,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  a  nursery  of  vital  piety  as  well  as  of  sound  theological 
learning,  and  to  train  up  persons  for  the  ministry  who  shall 
be  lovers  as  well  as  defenders  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
friends  of  revivals  of  religion,  and  a  blessing  to  the  Church 
of  God. 

"  ^  7.  That  as  the  Constitution  of  our  Church  guarantees 
to  every  Presbytery  the  right  of  judging  of  its  own  candi- 
dates for  licensure  and  ordination,  so  the  Assembly  think  it 
proper  to  state  most  explicitly,  that  every  Presbytery  and 
Synod  will  of  course  be  at  liberty  to  countenance  the  pro- 
posed plan  or  not,  at  pleasure  ;  and  to  send  their  students 
to  the  projected  seminary,  or  keep  them^  as  heretofore, 
within  their  own  bounds,  as  they  may  think  most  conducive 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  Church. 


308 


FIllST    MEETING    OF    DIRECTORS. 


"  ^  8.  Tliat  the  Professors  in  the  seminary  shall  not,  in 
any  case,  be  considered  as  having  a  right  to  license  candi- 
dates to  preach  the  Gospel ;  but  that  all  such  candidates 
shall  be  remitted  to  their  respective  Presbyteries  to  be 
licensed,  as  heretofore/ 

"  The  committee  appointed  to  prepare  a  constitution  in 
detail  for  the  contemplated  seminary,  made  report  to  the 
General  Assembly  which  convened  in  1811."  * 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Directors  was  held  June  30, 
1812,  and  was  opened  with  a  sermon  by  the  Kev.  Dr.  Green, 
who  was  immediately  elected  President  of  the  Board,  an 
office  which  he  held  as  long  as  he  lived.  When,  three  years 
later,  the  beginnings  of  an  edifice  were  made,  the  comer- 
stone  was  laid  by  the  same  venerable  man.  "  I  consider," 
said  he,  "  the  agency  I  have  had  in  providing  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  for  the  Church,  and  in  securing  the  means  for  their 
adequate  instruction,  and  for  an  attention  to  their  personal 
piety,  as  the  most  important  service  that  I  have  ever  rendered 
to  the  Church  of  Christ.^* 

Few  things  which  we  have  to  relate  could  be  more  inter- 
esting, if  it  were  possible  to  recover  it,  than  an  account  of 
the  state  of  mind  with  which  Dr.  Alexander  regarded  the 
universal  disposition  of  the  Church  to  make  him  its  first 
theological  professor.  But  not  a  letter,  not  a  memorandum, 
not  a  ]ine  remains  to  tell  the  story,  llis  characteristic  mo- 
desty must  have  made  this  a  severe  trial.  In  his  best  days, 
and  after  his  Icmgest  experience  and  completest  successes,  h( 

•^  Brief  Ilititory  of  flic'riu'ol(»o:icnl  S'^'nrijvrv.      I'ririooton    18^8 


CHOICE    OF    rilOFESSOR.  30^ 

was  accustomed  to  bow  very  low  under  a  sense  of  his  own 
insufficiency.  But  then,  with  powers  all  untried,  to  be  called 
from  his  retirement,  to  assume  the  teacher's  office,  was  an 
event  as  embarrassing  as  it  was  unexpected.  From  the 
analogy  of  his  whole  life  and  feelings,  we  are  persuaded  that 
his  final  consent  to  undertake  the  task  was  produced  by  high 
religious  feelings,  and  a  profound  recognition  of  his  responsi- 
bility to  the  Head  of  the  Church. 

From  a  source  unknown  to  us,  we  insert  an  affecting  ac- 
count, from  one  who  was  present  at  the  election. 

"  In  the  year  1812,  the  General  Assembly,  then  in  ses- 
sion in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  resolved  to  go  into  the 
election  of  Professor.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Flinn,  of  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  was  Moderator.  It  was  unanimously  re- 
solved to  spend  some  time  in  prayer  previously  to  the  election, 
and  that  not  a  single  remark  should  be  made  by  any  member 
with  reference  to  any  candidate,  before  or  after  the  balloting. 
Silently  and  prayerfully  these  guardians  of  the  Church  began 
to  prepare  their  votes.  They  felt  the  solemnity  of  the  oc- 
casion, the  importance  of  their  trust.  Not  a  word  was 
spoken,  not  a  whisper  heard,  as  the  teller  passed  around  to 
collect  the  result.  The  votes  were  counted,  the  result  de- 
clared, and  the  Eev.  Dr.  Alexander  was  pronounced  elected. 
A  venerable  elder  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  of  which 
Dr.  Alexander  was  pastor,  arose  to  speak.  But  his  feeling? 
choked  utterance.  How  could  he  part  with  his  beloved 
pastor  .?  His  tears  flowed  until  he  sat  down  in  silence.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  Miller  arose  and  said  that  he  hoped  the  brother 
elected  would  not  decline,  hov/^ever  reluctant  he  might  feel 


310 


THE   ELECTION. 


to  accept ;  that  if  he  had  been  selected  by  the  voice  of 
the  Church,  however  great  the  sacrifice,  he  would  not  dare 
refuse.  Little  did  he  dream  that  on  the  following  year  he 
should  be  called  by  the  same  voice  to  give  up  the  attractions 
of  the  city,  to  devote  his  life  to  the  labours  of  an  instructor. 
The  Kev.  Mr.  Flinii  called  on  the  Rev.  Dr.  Woodhull,  of 
Monmouth,  to  follow  in  prayer.  He  declined.  Two  others 
were  called  on,  and  they  declined,  remarking  that  it  was  the 
Moderator's  duty.  He  then  addressed  the  throne  of  grace 
in  such  a  manner,  with  such  a  strain  of  elevated  devotion, 
that  the  members  of  the  Assembly  all  remarked  that  he 
seemed  almost  inspired;  weeping  and  sobbing  were  heard 
throughout  the  house. 

"  Amid  the  tears  and  prayers  of  the  Church,  Dr,  Alex- 
ander was  elected  to  the  office.  Amid  the  prayers  and  tears 
of  the  Church,  he  was  laid  in  the  tomb.  But  three  of  the 
members  of  that  Assembly,  it  is  believed,  are  now  living. 
Instead  of  thy  fathers  shall  he  thy  children."^ 

When  it  became  necessary  to  announce  his  determination 
to  the  people  of  his  charge,  it  was  in  the  following  terms. 

"  As  it  is  known  to  this  congregation  that  I  have  been 
appointed  by  the  General  Assembly  to  be  a  Professor  in  the 
Theological  School  which  they  are  about  to  establish  at 
Princeton,  New  Jersey,  and  as  the  time  draws  near  when  it 
will  be  expected  that  I  should  declare  my  mind  in  relation 
o  this  appointment,  I  have  judged  it  proper  and  expedient, 

*  Tlie  Presbyterian. 


PASTORAL    FAREWELL.  31 X 

m  the  first  place,  to  make  a  communication  to  you,  the  dear 
people  of  my  charge. 

"  After  viewing  this  important  subject  in  every  light  in 
which  I  could  place  it,  and  after  having  earnestly  sought 
the  direction  of  Heaven,  it  does  appear  to  me  to  be  the  call 
of  Providence,  which  I  cannot  and  ought  not  to  resist. 

"  This  resolution  has  not  been  formed  under  the  influ- 
ence of  any  dissatisfaction  with  my  present  condition,  nor 
from  any  want  of  affection  to  this  people  ;  for  since  I  have 
been  your  pastor,  no  event  has  occurred  to  disturb  that  peace 
and  harmony  which  should  ever  exist  between  minister  and 
people  ;  and  I  have  had  no  reason  to  doubt  the  sincerity  and 
cordiality  of  the  attachment  of  this  congregation  to  me  from 
the  first  day  I  came  amongst  them  until  this  time.  For  all 
their  respect  and  attention,  and  especially  for  that  readiness 
with  which  they  have  received  the  word  at  my  mouth,  '  I 
give  thanks  to  Grod/  I  moreover  wish  to  say,  that  I  do  not 
know  a  single  congregation  within  the  bounds  of  our  Church, 
of  which  I  would  choose  to  be  pastor  in  preference  to  this. 
No  invitation,  therefore,  from  any^  other  would  ever  have 
separated  us. 

"  I  did  expect  to  live  and  die  with  you,  unless  ill  health 
(with  which  I  have  been  threatened  of  late)  should  have 
made  a  removal  expedient.  But  we  know  nothing  of  the 
designs  of  Providence  with  regard  to  us,  God's  dispensations 
are  unsearchable.  In  the  whole  of  this  business,  thus  far,  I 
have  blen  entirely  passive.  I  never  expected  or  sought  this 
appointment.    When  it  was  mentioned  to  me  by  some  mem- 


512  FAREWELL    ADDRESS. 

bers  of  the  Assembly,  the  day  it  took  place,  my  answer  was, 
that  I  sincerely  wished  they  would  think  of  some  other  per- 
son ;  that  it  was  an  office  which  I  did  not  covet,  and  for 
which  I  felt  myself  altogether  unqualified.  But  when  asked 
whether  I  would  give  the  subject  a  serious  and  deliberate 
consideration  if  I  should  be  appointed,  I  answered  that 
this  I  durst  not  oppose. 

"  Since  the  appointment  has  been  made,  I  have  thought 
much,  but  said  little.  I  have  seriously  and  deliberately 
considered  the  subject.  I  never  viewed  any  decision  to  be 
made  by  me  in  so  important  a  light.  I  think  I  have  de- 
sired to  do  the  will  of  Grod,  and  have,  as  earnestly  as  I  could, 
asked  his  counsel  and  guidance,  and  the  result  is,  that  I  am 
convinced  that  I  ought  not  refuse  such  a  call. 

"  To  train  up  young  men  for  the  ministry,  has  always 
been  considered  of  higher  importance  to  the  Church  of 
Christ  than  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  a  particular  flock  already 
gathered  into  the  fold  ;  and  it  has  always  been  considered  as 
a  sufficient  reason  for  dissolving  the  pastoral  relation  between 
minister  and  people,  that  he  was  wanted  for  this  employ- 
ment ;  and  sister  churches,  which  do  not  allow  of  removals 
from  our  pastoral  charge  [?]  do  nevertheless  admit  this  to 
be  a  sufficient  reason  for  the  translation  of  a  minister. 

"  In  addition  to  this,  it  ought  to  be  considered  that  this 
call  comes  to  me  in  a  very  peculiar  way.  It  is  not  the  call 
of  a  College,  or  University,  or  any  such  institution,  but  it  is 
the  call  of  the  whole  Church  by  their  representatives.  And 
I  confess  that  it  has  weighod  much  with  my  mind,  that  this 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  3|3 

appointment  was  made  by  the  General  Assembly  in  circmu- 
stances  of  peculiar  seriousness  and  solemnity,  and  after 
special  prayer  for  Divine  direction  and  superintendence,  and 
by  an  almost  unanimous  vote.  Perhaps  it  would  be  difficult 
to  find  a  disinterested  person  who  would  not  say,  under  such 
circumstances,  ^  It  is  your  duty  to  go — it  appears  to  be  the 
call  of  God  ; '  and  I  do  believe  that  the  majority  of  this 
congregation  are  convinced  in  their  judgment,  whatever  their 
feelings  may  dictate,  that  I  should  be  out  of  my  duty  to 
refuse.  Indeed,  I  cannot  but  admire  the  deportment  of  the 
people  in  relation  to  this  matter.  Although  tenderly  affected, 
and  many  of  you  grieved  at  heart,  you  have  not  ventured 
to  say  '  stay.'  You  saw  that  there  was  something  remarkable 
in  the  dispensation,  and  you  knew^  not  but  that  the  finger  of 
God  was  in  the  affair,  and  therefore,  with  a  submissive  spirit, 
you  were  disposed  to  say,  '  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done.' 

"It  does  appear  hard,  indeed,  that  this  bereavement 
should  fall  upon  you  who  have  already  been  bereaved  so 
often  ;  but  consider  that  He  who  causeth  the  wound,  hath 
power  to  heal  it,  and  can  turn  this  event  to  your  greater 
advantage  ;  and  I  entertain  a  confident  persuasion,  that  if 
you  willingly  make  this  s:icrinoe  f  ;)r  the  good  of  the  Church, 
the  great  Head  of  the  Church  will  furnish  you  with  a  pastor 
after  his  own  heart,  who  will  feed  you  with  knowledge.  Com- 
mit your  case  to  him  with  fervent  prayer  and  humble  confi- 
dence, and  he  will  not  forget  nor  forsake  you. 

"  My- dear  brethren,  as  we  have  lived  in  peace  and  love,  I 
hope  that  we  shall  part  in  the  same  spirit.  I  hope  that  we 
shall  remember  one  another  unceasingly  at  the  throne  of 


314  INAUGURATION. 

grace.  Let  us  recollect  the  times  and  seasons  when  we  have 
taken  sweet  converse  together  in  this  house,  and  other  places 
wliere  prayer  is  wont  to  be  made.  If  any  shall  choose  to  be 
displeased,  and  follow  me  with  hard  speeches  instead  of 
prayers,  I  shall  not  return  unto  them  as  they  measure  unto 
me.  I  will  not  resent  their  conduct.  I  desire  ever  to  be 
disposed  to  bear  you  as  a  people  on  my  heart  with  tender 
love ;  and  now  to  His  grace  and  kind  protection  do  I  commit 
you.     Farewell ! " 

The  inauguration,  which  we  anticipate  for  the  sake  of 
connection,  took  place  on  the  twelfth  day  of  August,  1812. 
It  was  an  occasion  of  great  solemnity  and  feeling.  The 
older  ministers,  especially  those  to  whom  the  direction  was 
entrusted,  looked  with  parental  yearnings  on  the  infant 
seminary,  and  none  were  more  ready  to  hail  with  thankful- 
ness and  hope  the  approach  of  new  means  for  training  the 
ministry,  than  those  excellent  men  who  lamented  the  scan- 
tiness of  their  own  early  opportunities.  But  to  none  did 
the  service  of  the  day  bring  greater  solicitude  than  to  him 
who  was  about  to  put  on  armour  for  which  he  unaffectedly 
felt  too  weak.  The  first  discourse  was  a  sermon  by  Dr.  Mil- 
ler, of  New-York,  on  the  Duty  of  the  Church  to  take  meas- 
ures for  providing  an  Able  and  Faithful  Ministry  ;  from  the 
words,  '^  And  the  things  which  thou  hast  heard  of  me,  among 
many  witnesses,  the  same  commit  thou  to  faithful  men,  who 
shall  be  able  to  teach  others  also  :"  2  Timothy,  ii.  2.  It  was 
an  able  investigation  of  the  question,  what  is  to  be.  under- 
stood by  an  able  and  faithful  ministry,  which  was  made  to 
include  piety,  talents,  learning  .and  diligence  ;    and  of  the 


professor's  discourse.  315 

means  which  the  Church  is  bound  to  employ  for  providing 
such  a  ministry. 

The  Inaugural  Discourse  of  the  Professor  was  founded 
on  the  words,  "  Search  the  Scriptures/'  John  v.  39  ;  and 
was  a  learned  argument  in  behalf  of  biblical  study.  In  one 
respect  the  whole  performance  was  true  to  the  habit  and 
character  of  the  speaker  ;  for  it  did  not  contain,  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  the  faintest  allusion  to  his  own  personality. 
All  deprecation  of  censure,  and  all  promise  of  fidelity,  were 
equally  absent.  It  was  followed  by  a  charge  to  the  Pro- 
fessor and  Students  of  Divinity,  by  the  Kev.  Philip  Milledo- 
ler,  D.  D.  All  concerned  have  since  gone  to  their  reward  ; 
and  of  the  Directors,  before  whom  these  addresses  were  de- 
livered, the  only  survivors  are  the  Kev.  President  Nott,  the 
Rev.  William  Neill,  D.  D.,  the  Rev.  John  McDowell,  D.  D., 
and  the  Rev.  Francis  Herron,  D.  D.  It  is  for  the  public  to 
determine  how  far  the  work  in  which  these  good  men  then 
engaged,  with  such  earnestness  and  many  prayers,  has  con- 
duced to  the  progress  of  religion  and  learning  in  the  United 
States. 

It  was  with  an  unfeigned  reluctance  that  Dr.  Alexander 
accepted  the  appointment.  No  man  could  entertain  a 
higher  estimate  of  the  functions  which  awaited  him  ;  no 
man  of  eminence  could  think  more  humbly  of  himself  All 
his  Ufe  long  he  was  free  to  acknowledge,  that  his  training, 
however  laborious,  had  lacked  much  of  the  rigour  and  me- 
thod of  the  schools  ;  and  while  he  had  pursued  knowledge 
with  enthusiasm,  and  in  many  fields,  he  knew  that  it  had 


316  PREPARATIONS. 

been  with  the  neglect  of  certain  forms  which  are  supposed  to 
give  fitness  for  the  academical  chair.  Theology  had  indeed 
been  the  study  of  his  life.  Its  difficult  questions  had  been 
the  constant  occupation  of  his  profoundest  meditations  ;  and 
he  had  during  his  residence  in  Philadelphia  "gathered  about 
him  the  great  masters  of  Latin  theology,  whose  works  ap- 
peared in  Holland,  Switzerland,  Germany,  and  France,  in 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries.  A  rare  occasion 
for  adding  to  his  stock  of  Dutch  theology  was  afforded  by 
the  sale  of  a  library  belonging  to  a  learned  minister  from 
Holland,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Van  Harlingen,  of  Somerset.  In 
relation  to  this,  his  friend,  Mr.  Rice,  thus  wTote  :  "  I  could 
not  help  exclaiming,  when  I  heard  of  the  fine  library  you 
have  pm'chased,  '  0  fortunati!'  but  I  could  hardly  add, 
^  Hand  equidem  invideo ! '  But  why  should  I  repine  ?  I 
have  more  books  than  I  can  read.''''-"  These  Reformed  di- 
vines he  regarded  as  having  pushed  theological  investigation 
to  its  greatest  length,  and  compacted  its  conclusions  into 
the  most  symmetrical  method.  He  was  accustomed  to  say 
that  in  his  judgment  Reformed  theology  reached  its  culmi- 
nating point  about  the  epoch  of  the  Synod  of  Dordrecht. 
To  these  great  authors  he  turned  with  unabated  zest  during 
the  whole  of  a  long  and  studious  life.  He  once  said  to  the 
writer,  that  on  a  perplexed  subject  he  preferred  Latin  to 
English  reading  ;  not  only  because  of  the  complete  and 
ingenious  nomenclature  which  had  grown  up  in  the  dialectic 
schools  of  tlie  church,  but  because  the  little  effort  required 
for  getting  the  sense  kept  his  attention  concentrated.    It  was 

•  Mr.  Rice  to  Dr.  Alexander,  November  4,  1818. 


THEOLOGICAL    READING.  317 

indeed  almost  amusing  to  observe  liow  he  would  hang  over 
the  massive  quarto  or  folio,  with  all  the  awakened  inter- 
est of  a  novel-reader.  In  consequence  of  the  fiery  contro- 
versy which  characterized  those  times,  and  the  scholastic 
acumen  and  philosophic  adventure  and  logical  exactness 
which  belonged  to  the  age,  he  considered  these  scholars  as 
having  anticipated  most  of  the  minor  questions  which  have 
vexed  the  church  in  later  times.  His  penchant  for  meta- 
physical investigation  urged  him,  from  an  early  date,  to  make 
himself  acquainted  with  the  philosophies  of  the  periods,  from 
which  each  system  took  its  tincture,  and  without  which  it  is 
impossible  to  survey  the  several  schemes  from  a  just  point 
of  view.  Thus  he  perused,  and  generally  in  their  sources, 
not  only  the  peripatetic  and  scholastic  writers,  but  the  trea- 
tises of  Des  Cartes,  Leibnitz,  Wolff,  and  Voetius.  And 
there  was  no  subject  on  which  he  discoursed  with  more 
pleasure  or  success  than  on  the  exposition  and  comparison 
of  these  ingenious  though  now  exploded  systems.  He  made 
himself  familiar  with  the  Christian  Fathers,  both  Greek  and 
Latin,  and  perused  them  at  intervals  during  forty  years  ; 
some  of  his  very  last  labours  having  been  in  this  field.  At 
a  certain  period  he  examined  all  that  they  had  written  on 
the  Divinity  of  our  Lord  ;  and  this  formed  a  subject  of  lively 
intercourse  between  him  and  Dr.  Miller.  It  is  particularly 
remembered  with  what  surprise  and  admiration  he  spoke  of 
the  felicitous  subtilty  of  Cyril.  It  was  his  delight  to  seek 
out  the  portions  of  truth  in  the  books  of  ancient  authors. 
Nor  did  he  confine  himself  to  writers  on  one  side.  Through 
long  years  he  was  wont  to  seek  with  patience  the  best  works 


318  THEOLOGICAL    READING. 

in  defence  of  popery  ;  the  argumentative  dissertations  of  the 
extreme  Lutherans  and  Dutch  Remonstrants,  as  well  as  the 
Fratres  Poloni  and  other  champions  of  Socinianism.  It 
need  scarcely  be  added  that  he  was  familiar  with  English 
theology,  as  treated  both  by  authors  of  the  Established 
Church,  and  by  the  great  Nonconformist  divines.  His 
recent  travels  in  New  England,  and  the  prevailing  excite- 
ment caused  by  the  speculations  of  Hopkins  and  Emmons, 
served  to  keep  him  observant  in  regard  to  the  phases  of 
opinion  in  the  American  churches.  As  it  respects  his  own 
conclusions,  he  has  left  on  record  the  statement,  that  on  his 
return  from  New  England,  and  during  his  residence  in  Phil- 
adelphia, his  views,  which  had  been  somewhat  modified  by 
eastern  suggestions,  began  to  fix  themselves  more  definitely 
in  the  direction  of  the  common  Westminster  theology.  In 
many  respects,  therefore,  he  was  well  fitted  for  the  difiicult 
post  to  which  the  Church  was  summoning  him. 

But  there  were  other  branches  of  learning,  tributary  to  the 
teacher's  place,  which  had  occupied  his  attention.  His  ex- 
traordinary tenacity  of  memory,  which  seemed  never  to  let 
go  a  fact  entrusted  to  it,  gave  him  both  taste  and  facility 
for  historical  study  ;  and  we  have  never  met  with  any  one 
who  was  more  at  home  in  all  the  annals  of  ecclesiastical 
record.  For  reasons  already  indicated  the  events  were  made 
to  revolve  in  his  mind  around  the  momentous  points  of  theo- 
logical determination  ;  so  that  the  history  of  doctrine,  includ- 
ing the  rise  and  progress  of  errors,  the  decisions  of  councils, 
controversial  authorship  and  the  establishment  of  symbols 
and  of  sects,  became  favourite  objects  of  inquiry.     On  these 


BIBLICAL    STUDIES.  319 

subjects  he  amassed  an  extraordinary  amount  of  original 
manuscript,  and  from  these  sources  he  was  accustomed  to 
enliven  and  diversify  his  dogmatical  instructions. 

In  the  classical  languages  he  was  well  read,  though  with- 
out scrupulous  care  for  those  niceties  of  metre  and  accent,  in 
which  English  scholars  take  a  pride.  The  Greek  of  the 
New  Testament  was  familiar  to  him  from  incessant  perusal. 
No  day  passed  without  deliberate  study  of  this  sacred  original. 
And  in  his  later  years  a  beautiful  Glasgow  edition  of  Gries- 
bach  was  commonly  in  his  hands  during  all  the  private  hours 
of  the  Lord's  day.  Indeed,  he  frequently  complained  that 
this  practice  had,  to  a  certain  extent,  unfitted  him  for  textual 
citation  of  the  English  version  in  extemporaneous  discourse. 
He  accustomed  his  cliildren  to  read  the  Greek  Testament, 
long  before  they  arrived  at  it  as  a  school-study  ;  and  this 
exercise,  between  morning  prayers  and  breakfast,  was  kept 
up  for  some  years.  We  have  already  recorded  his  first  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Hebrew  Bible.  From  that  hour  he  never 
relaxed  in  his  efforts  to  master  the  venerable  language.  His 
first  successful  attempts  were  made  in  Philadelphia,  where 
he  was  stimulated  by  the  example  and  the  counsels  of  Dr. 
Wilson,  and  aided  by  the  lessons  of  Hurwitz,  a  learned  Jew. 
The  splendid  large  paper,  Michaelis  edition  of  Halle,  which 
he  acquired  about  this  time,  now  lies  before  us.  It  was  one 
of  his  peculiarities  that  he  treated  books  with  a  religious 
tenderness,  never  making  in  any  one  of  them  so  much  as  a 
marginal  note.  This  volume  was  in  his  hands  for  nearly 
half  a  century,  and  to  the  last  of  his  reading  he  perused  at 
least  one  chapter  of  Hebrew  every  day. 


320  .  ARRIVAL. 

Ill  natural  connection  with  this  was  the  study  of  Criti' 
cism  and  Hermeneutics.  Although  in  regard  to  the  latter 
he  was  indebted  chiefly  to  the  older  school,  his  curiosity  was 
wakeful  and  his  knowledge  extensive.  The  history  of  great 
manuscripts,  versions  and  editions  was  deeply  fixed  in  his 
mind,  and  he  always  spoke  of  them  with  the  familiarity 
which  the  mineralogist  has  with  the  specimens  of  his  cabinet. 
The  qualifications  on  which  we  have  slightly  touched  were 
the  more  important,  as  the  new  professor  was  expected  to 
begin  his  labours  with  an  attempt  in  every  department  of 
theological  study. 

In  the  month  of  July,  1812,  Dr.  Alexander  arrived  in 
Princeton,  with  his  wife  then  in  the  bloom  and  freshness  of  a 
health  which  endured  to  old  age,  and  with  four  children,  of 
whom  the  oldest  was  not  nine  years  old.  The  change  to  a 
green  and  airy  village,  from  a  heated  and  populous  city,  was 
exceedingly  grateful  to  one  who  had  been  reared  in  the 
mountains,  and  to  whom  the  restrictions  and  conventionali- 
ties of  civic  life  were  always  a  penance.  Disposed  at  all 
times  to  give  frank  and  prompt  expression  to  what  rose 
within  him,  he  felt  the  stricture  of  a  great  town  and  its 
ways,  and  often  longed  for  the  shade  and  scope  of  the 
country.  It  was  perhaps  this  which  led  him  to  regard  his 
sojourn  in  Philadelphia  as  the  least  agreeable  portion  of  his 
life.  But  now  ho  was  to  resume  what  might  be  called  a 
country  life,  and  we  remember  the  almost  boyish  glee  with 
which  he  saluted  and  indicated  to  his  children  the  salient 
points  of  rural  prospects.  He  came  with  his  own  horses, 
and  for  some  years  was  accustomed  with  his  family  to  spend 


PRINCETON.  321 

much  time  in  easy  drives  among  the  pleasing  scenes  of  that 
delightful  neighbourhood,  and  to  places  where  his  appoint- 
ments lay.  In  early  life  he  was  a  bold  and  dexterous  horse- 
man. He  ctune  to  be  the  tiller  of  a  garden,  in  which  art, 
however,  he  did  not  lay  out  special  endeavours.  The  dwell- 
ing to  which  he  came  was  small  and  inconvenient,  in  the 
least  inviting  part  of  the  borough  ;  later  years  afforded  him 
a  much  more  suitable  abode. 

On  arriving  at  so  important  a  point  in  our  simple  and 
uneventful  history,  and  at  the  place  from  which  it  is  no  more 
to  remove,  we  may  be  allowed  to  pause  a  little  over  the 
locality.  Princeton  is  a  village  which  holds  out  attraction? 
from  its  high  site  and  its  historical  associations.  At  that 
time  it  stood  upon  the  county  line  between  Middlesex  and 
Somerset,  and  just  where  the  hilly  or  upland  country  beginp 
to  subside  into  the  tamer  slopes  which  extend  towards  the 
ocean,  but  which  swell  eastward  into  a  graceful  line  of  blue 
Monmouth  hills.  The  village  was  for  many  years  little  else 
than  a  gathering  of  houses  around  the  College,  which  had 
been  here  for  half  a  century.  It  had  been  further  signalized 
by  the  battle  of  Princeton,  and  by  the  temporary  presence 
of  the  old  Congress.  Every  thing,  however,  had  reference 
to  the  great  and  venerable  literary  institution,  whose  officers 
were  the  most  prominent  persons  in  the  place.  The  ancient 
edifice,  the  ample  lawns,  and  spreading  trees,  made  its 
grounds,  then  as  now,  the  principal  charm  of  the  village.  Its 
cemetery  contained  the  ashes  of  Burr,  Davies,  Edwards  and 
Witherspoon  ;  and  in  the  neighbourhood,  as  you  rise  towards 
a  hard  rocky  ridge,  was  the  farm  of  the  last  named,  which  he 
had  called  Tusculum. 


322 


PIUNCETON    FAMILIES. 


At  this  time  Princeton  was  not  without  many  persons  of 
note,  some  of  whom  may  be  mentioned  as  more  or  less  con- 
nected with  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  Doctor  Samuel 
Stanhope  Smith  was  living,  and  was  approaching  the  term  of 
his  presidentship  ;  and  he  was  beyond  question  the  person 
to  whom  most  eyes  were  directed  with  favour  and  admiration. 
He  is  distinctly  remembered  by  us,  as  he  then  appeared,  in  a 
beautiful  old  age  surpassing  any  that  we  have  known.  He 
was  tall,  slender  and  feeble,  but  erect.  The  clear  soft  skin, 
and  delicate  complexion,  and  mild  blue  eye,  were  remarkably 
exempt  from  the  traces  of  age.  Many  a  pupil  will  recall  his 
stately  venerable  form,  as  he  walked  with  velvet  cap  and 
academic  gown,  in  those  processions  which  took  place  at 
least  every  Sunday,  from  Nassau- Hall  to  the  church.  The 
days  of  Dr.  Smith's  activity  were  nearly  ended,  and  he  soon 
afterwards  resigned.  He  was  celebrated  for  his  acquaintance 
with  elegant  letters,  for  the  eloquence  of  his  pulpit  dis- 
courses, and  for  the  matchless  courtliness  of  his  manners. 
He  had  formed  himself  upon  the  best  masters  of  the  French 
school ;  in  which  endeavour  his  most  celebrated  pupil  was 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Kollock,  one  of  the  most  ornate  yet 
vehement  orators  whom  our  country  has  produced  ;  and  who 
had  until  recently  been  the  pastor  of  the  village  church. 

Dr.  John  Maclean,  a  native  of  Scotland,  father  of  Presi- 
dent Maclean,  was  at  this  time  vice-president  of  the  College, 
and  was  eminent  as  a  mathematician  and  a  chemist.  The 
Stockton  family,  always  among  the  most  prominent  of  the 
place,  was  represented  by  Richard  Stockton  of  Morven,  the 
second  of  the  name,  well  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  able 


PERSONAL    TRAITS.  325 

members  of  the  New  Jersey  bar,  and  aiso  as  a  Senator  of  the 
United  States.  Samuel  Bayard,  a  descendant  of  the  Hu- 
guenot refugees,  a  ruling  elder  in  the  church,  an  author  of 
several  works,  and  a  man  of  mild  and  affectionate  piety,  was  • 
a  friend,  who,  as  long  as  he  lived,  was  cherished  by  Dr.  Alex- 
ander with  true  regard.  To  whom  may  be  added.  Dr.  John 
Yancleve,  Colonel  Beatty,  and  others,  long  since  depart- 
ed, equally  respected,  but  whose  names  would  scarcely  interest 
the  general  reader.  But  time  has  wrought  sad  changes.  Of 
some  of  the  families  here  mentioned  not  a  vestige  remains  ; 
and  the  writer  feels  the  flight  of  years,  when  he  observes 
that  only  one  house  in  the  long  and  thickly  peopled  principal 
street  of  Princeton  is  occupied  by  the  same  family  as  in  1812 

Thus  at  the  age  of  forty  years  Dr.  Alexander  was  girding 
on  the  harness  of  his  most  important  exertion  ;  at  a  stage 
when,  if  ever,  the  human  powers  are  in  fulness  of  vigour,  and, 
as  the  event  proved,  at  the  precise  middle  point  of  his  hfe. 
His  health,  though  never  robust,  was  not  threatened  by  any 
serious  indications,  and  had  not  yet  succumbed  to  inordinate 
study.  In  Philadelphia  he  had  suffered  from  short  but 
violent  attacks  of  rheumatism,  and  he  was  beginning  by  slow 
degrees  to  recognise  a  train  of  nervous  symptoms,  from 
which  he  afterwards  endured  great  discomfort.  His  habits 
were  settled,  and  his  mental  and  moral  character  had  taken 
their  leading  configuration. 

Pausing  for  a  moment  to  recall  the  picture  as  then  pre- 
sented, we  do  not  find  many  striking  lines  to  be  added  to 
those  already  given.  In  person  he  was  thin,  but  his  coun- 
tenance waft  fidl  of  life,  his  complexion  was  clear,  his  teeth 


:V24  PERSONAL    TRAITS. 

as  yet  spared,  his  locks,  though  slightly  silvered,  unusually 
full,  and  his  eye  mohile  and  piercing  to  an  extraordinary  de- 
gree, as  none  can  forget  who  ever  saw  him.  As  compared 
with  his  later  self,  we  should  say  that  he  was  characterized 
by  the  great  spring  and  vivacity  of  his  manner  and  discourse  ; 
more  disposed  to  converse,  hold  and  ready  in  argument, 
sometimes  keen  in  answer  or  reproof,  always  open  to  the 
point  of  what  was  gay  or  humorous,  free  with  his  children 
and  their  comrades,  enthusiastic  in  his  love  of  scenery  and  of 
music,  with  a  frankness  and  naturalness  in  the  expression  of 
opinions  and  sentiments,  which  was  the  more  delightful  the 
more  it  receded  from  the  canons  of  artificial  society.  His 
opinions  were  formed,  his  lines  of  study  marked  out,  and  in 
regard  to  his  manner  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  he  was  un- 
questionably at  a  point  beyond  which  he  never  rose. 


CHAPTER  THIRTEENTH. 
1812. 

OPENING     OF     SE]\nNARY PLAN ANTECEDENT     QUALTFIOATIONS EAKLY 

METHODS — INTERCOURSE    WITH    STUDENTS EVENING    SERMONS — ACCES- 
SION   OF   DR.    MILLER RELATIONS    OF    THE    PROFESSORS. 

A  MODEST  man  could  scarcely  be  placed  in  more  trying 
circumstances  than  was  Dr.  Alexander  in  his  new  post. 
It  is  much  easier  to  carry  on  the  routine  of  an  established 
institution,  than  to  draught  the  original  plan.  In  this  case 
many  things  remained  to  be  done.  The  scheme  was  not  so 
much  to  be  carried  out  as  to  be  created.  There  was  not 
only  no  foregoing  incumbent,  in  whose  steps  to  tread,  but 
there  could  scarcely  be  said  to  be.  any  precedent.  In  our  day 
we  are  familiar  with  theological  seminaries,  among  Baptists, 
Episcopalians,  and  Methodists  ;  but  at  that  time,  such  insti- 
tutions, as  distinct  from  colleges  and  universities,  were  new 
in  America,  and  scarcely  known  in  Europe.  In  Great 
Britain,  France  and  Holland,  clerical  training  is  pursued  at 
the  universities  ;  and  even  the  Prediger- Seminar  of  some 
German  States  is  of  late  origin,  besides  being  very  different 
from  our  theological  schools. 


32o  OPENING    OF    SEMINARY. 

From  the  existence  for  so  many  years  at  Princeton  of 
both  College  and  Seminary,  the  misapprehension  has  some- 
what naturally  prevailed  that  the  two  schools  are  connected  ; 
whereas  they  have  always  been  totally  distinct ;  one  being  an 
independent  chartered  institution  under  a  close  corporation, 
owning  no  necessary  alliance  with  any  sect,  and  the  other 
a  strictly  ecclesiastical  foundation,  managed  by  trustees, 
and  superintended  by  directors  appointed  from  time  to  time 
by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  There 
had  indeed  been  theological  lectures  in  the  College  of  New- 
Jersey,  and  eminent  men  had  proceeded  from  the  instruc- 
tions of  Witherspoon  and  Smith,  but  the  experiment  was 
now  to  be  tried  of  a  separate  and  additional  curriculum  ;  and 
from  this  time,  all  strictly  professional  lessons  in  divinity 
ceased  to  be  delivered  in  the  College. 

The  Committee  of  the  General  Assembly  had  indeed 
prepared  a  general  scheme  or  programme  of  a  theological 
course  to  be  "observed  in  the  new  seminary,  and  in  the  con- 
struction of  this,  which  was  framed  by  Dr.  Green,  Dr.  Alex- 
ander's views  were  largely  contributed.  But  now,  as  sole 
professor  for  a  time,  he  was  to  strengthen  this  outline,  to  fill 
up  its  details,  and  to  carry  the  work  into  laborious  execution. 
It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  these  were  among  the  most 
anxious  moments  of  his  life.  With  the  highest  views  of 
what  was  demanded,  he  unfeignedly  shrank  from  the  re- 
sponsibility of  realizing  his  large  idea,  and  would  doubtless 
have  laid  down  tlie  attempt,  but  from  the  deep  persuasion 
that  the  call  was  of  God,  and  from  the  hope  that  his  hands 
would  soon  be  strengthened  by  the  accession  of  a  suitable 


LANGUAGE.  -9>7 

colleague.  His  first  solicitude  was  concerned  in  drafting  a 
plan  of  study  for  the  three  years  which  had  been  allotted  for 
the  course.  He  was  next  to  address  himself  to  the  work  of 
actual  instruction.  However  well  furnished  in  several  de- 
partments with  the  general  knowledge  implied  in  ministerial 
accomplishment,  he  was  necessarily  destitute  of  all  special 
preparations.  Not  only  were  lectures  to  be  written,  on 
branches  lying  far  asunder,  but  such  lacunae  were  to  be  filled 
up,  as  exist  here  and  there  in  the  acquisitions  of  the  most 
diligent  student  ;  while  the  whole  modus  of  communicating 
knowledge  and  conducting  discipline  was  as  yet  an  affair  of 
tentative  and  doubtful  efi'ort. 

Although  called  primarily  to  be  a  teacher  of  theology, 
m  its  stricter  acceptation,  he  was  led  both  by  strong  native 
tastes  and  by  convictions  of  reason,  to  give  first  attention  to 
the  criticism  and  interpretation  of  the  original  Scriptures. 
With  the  Greek,  as  has  been  intimated,  he  was  sufficiently 
famiUar  to  be  a  competent  instructor  ;  but  Hebrew  literature 
was  in  its  infancy  in  America.  The  works  of  Gesenius  were 
as  yet  unknown,  and  the  learned  labours  of  Gibbs  and  Stuart 
had  not  been  given  to  the  world.  Even  in  New  England 
the  vowel-points  were  for  a  time  held  in  suspicion,  and  those 
who  desired  to  penetrate  into  their  mysteries  were  fain  to 
seek  after  the  difficult  and  very  rare  volumes  of  Buxtorf, 
Leusden  and  Opitius.  Conscious  of  his  own  imperfect 
knowledge,  he  modestly  but  indefatigably  set  about  the  work 
of  inculcation,  and  the  few  survivors  of  those  small  classes 
will  readily  testify  how  zealously  and  even  enthusiastically 
he  toiled  with  them  among  the  knotted  roots  of  Hebrew 


328  BIBLICAL   COURSE. 

rudiments.  For  a  number  of  years,  and  with  increasing 
ability,  be  worked  in  this  field,  until  relieved  by  the  services 
of  a  beloved  pupil,  the  Reverend  Charles  Hodge,  now  senior 
professor  in  the  Seminary.  As  it  regards  Criticism  and 
Hermeneutics,  it  was  a  department  v/hich  had  great  charms 
for  him,  and  by  extensive  reading,  compiling  and  original  in- 
vestigation, he  prepared  to  furnish  a  s}^stem  of  instruction, 
which  for  some  years  he  delivered  as  lectures,  a  number  of 
which  still  remain  among  his  papers.  We  can  call  to  mind 
no  subject  in  which  he  was  more  uniformly  interested,  than 
the  fortunes  of  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  text,  the  annals  of 
translation  and  recension,  and  the  principles  of  hermeneuti- 
cal  study.  To  this  he  added  copious  instructions  in  Biblical 
Archaeology,  on  which  he  prepared  numerous  discourses,  and 
which  remained  under  his  control  for  many  years.  The 
manuscripts  on  this  subject  in  our  possession  are  more  than 
would  fill  a  single  large  volume.  It  was  a  topic  which 
awakened  his  profound  attention  and  lively  feeling  ;  for  no 
man  looked  more  reverently  on  the  typical  Christology 
of  the  levitical  law  ;  and  none  of  his  pupils  can  forget  the 
awe  with  which  he  approached  the  recesses  of  the  expiatory 
system,  or  the  felicitous  use  which  he  made  of  the  altar  and 
the  propitiatory,  in  his  more  purely  theological  exposition  of 
the  Atonement.  Though  far  from  the  extreme  of  Cocceius, 
and  though  falling  short  of  Witsius  in  his  interpretation  of 
Mosaic  symbols,  he  nevertheless  differed  still  more  from  that 
rationalizing  school  of  American  divines,  then  becoming  loud 
and  influential,  who  were  disposed  to  reduce  the  contents  of 
levitical  typology  to  a  minimum.  We  have  lived  to  see  a 
bealthful  reaction  against  this  extreme  tendency. 


THEOLOGY.  329 

As  might  Lave  been  expected,  however,  his  primary 
attention  was  bestowed  upon  the  large  round  of  topics  in- 
cluded within  the  title  of  his  peculiar  professorship,  that  is, 
the  statement,  establishment,  and  defence  of  the  doctrines 
v/hich  constitute  the  Christian  system.  Deeply  persuaded 
that  many  theological  errors  have  their  origin  in  a  bias  de- 
rived from  false  metaphysics,  he  set  about  the  methodizing 
of  his  thoughts  upon  mental  philosophy,  always  keeping  in 
hand  the  clew  which  he  had  received  from  his  venerated 
preceptor,  William  Graham.  The  German  philosophy  was 
as  yet  unknown  among  us,  and  he  was  never  led  to  travel 
the  transcendental  or  "  high  priori  road,"  but  treated  mental 
phenomena  on  the  inductive  method,  as  the  objects  of  a 
cautious  generalization.  While  he  uniformly  recommended 
the  perusal  of  Locke,  it  was  as  he  often  declared,  not  so  much 
for  the  value  of  his  particular  conclusions,  as  for  the  spirit 
of  his  investigation,  the  calmness,  patience,  and  transparent 
honesty  of  that  truly  great  man.  He  likewise  expressed 
great  favour  for  Keid,  Beattie,  Buffier,  Campbell  and  Stew- 
art, with  whose  general  methods,  as  well  as  their  views  of 
intuitive  truths  and  constitutional  principles  of  reason,  he 
was  in  agreement,  while  he  dissented  from  many  of  their 
definitions,  distinctions,  and  tenets.  These  were  subjects 
which  fell  in  with  his  tastes,  habits  of  thought  and  course  of 
reading  ;  and  as  preliminary  to  the  development  of  the  re- 
vealed system,  he  regarded  them  as  forming  a  necessary  part 
of  every  complete  theological  course.  And  if  the  acuteuess 
of  his  inquiry  and  the  force  of  his  reasoning  were  ever  fully 
exhibited,  it  is  in  his  lectures  on  the  Will,  and  his  elaborate 


330  THEOLOGICAL   METHODS. 

refutation  of  Dr.  Thomas  BroAvn's  work  on  Causation.  From 
year  to  year  his  scheme  of  mental  philosophy  took  on  a  form 
of  stricter  method  ;  yet  he  may  be  said  to  have  begun  with 
it  at  his  entrance  upon  j)ublic  teaching.  No  portion  of  his 
course  more  awakened  the  interest  of  his  auditors  ;  and  such 
was  the  ingenuity  with  which  he  made  these  lessons  bear  on 
theological  questions  still  in  reserve,  that  in  the  days  of 
church-controversy  it  used  to  be  a  common  remark,  that 
students  who  had  been  imbued  with  Dr.  Alexander's  me- 
taphysics were  sure  to  swallow  his  entire  system.  Per- 
haps the  same  is  true  of  every  theological  instructor  who 
deduces  a  concatenated  system  from  any  clearly  defined 
principles. 

From  these  topics  he  turned  to  the  closely  allied  domain 
of  Natural  Religion.  In  regard  to  this,  the  only  safe  way  of 
defining  his  theological  position  would  be  to  publish  his  trea- 
tises, and  any  thing  short  of  this  might  be  misapprehended. 
While  he  was  far  from  being  a  rationalist,  he  was  never  satis- 
fied with  the  tactics  of  those  reasoners  who  under  the  pretext 
of  exalting  revelation,  dismiss  with  contempt  all  arguments 
derived  from  the  light  of  nature.  Here  he  freely  declared 
his  judgment  that  many  sound,  able  and  pious  men  had 
greatly  erred.  He  rendered  due  homage,  therefore,  to  the 
labours  of  such  writers  as  Nieuwentyt,  the  younger  Turret- 
tine,  and  Paley,  and  spent  much  time  in  considering  and 
unfolding  with  nice  discrimination  the  various  schemes  of 
argument  for  the  Being  and  Perfections  of  God,  and  the 
necessity  and  antecedent  probability  of  a  revelation.  Con- 
nected closelv  with  this  was  the  discussion  of  Ethical  Philos- 


THEOLOGICAL    METHODS.  331 

ophy,  in  which  he  taught  from  the  outset  the  same  doctrines 
which  have  been  given  to  the  world  in  a  posthumous  work, 
and  which  have  awakened  severe  opposition  from  those  who 
find  them  fatally  inconsistent  with  modern  systems  of  the- 
ology. 

The  anxieties  belonging  to  an  attempt  to  lay  down  the 
great  lines  of  a  method  for  teaching  the  whole  system  of  re- 
vealed truth,  to  those  who  were  to  be  the  ministers  of  the 
Church,  were  just  and  burdensome.  There  are  a  few  living 
who  can  recollect  the  particulars  of  these  instructions.  As 
compared  with  those  later  methods  which  grew  out  of  con- 
tinued experience  with  successive  classes,  they  were  probably 
more  extemporaneous  and  colloquial ;  there  was  more  use 
of  existing  manuals,  and  less  adventure  of  original  expedi- 
ents. Dr.  Alexander,  herein  concurring  with  Chalmers,  con- 
ceived that  theology  was  best  taught  by  a  wise  union  of  the 
text-book  with  the  free  lecture.  Finding  no  work  in  English 
which  entirely  met  his  demands,  he  placed  in  the  hands  of 
his  pupils  the  Institutions  of  Francis  Turrettine.  It  was 
ponderous,  scholastic  and  in  a  dead  language,  but  he  believed 
in  the  process  of  grappling  with  difficulties  ;  he  had  felt  the 
influence  of  this  athletic  sinewy  reasoner  on  his  own  mind, 
and  had  observed  that  those  who  mastered  his  arguments 
were  apt  to  be  strong  and  logical  divines.  At  this  time 
there  had  been  no  modern  edition,  and  copies  were  rare  ;  but 
the  classes  were  small,  and  the  book  was  not  laid  aside  until 
it  became  impossible  to  supply  the  demand.  It  would  be 
very  unjust  to  suppose  that  the  young  men  were  charged 
with  the  tenets  of  Turrettine,  to  the  injury  of  their  mental 


332  PLANS    OB    INSTRUCTION. 

independence.  It  is  indeed  difficult  to  apprehend  the  force 
of  a  vulgar  argument  which  sneers  at  text-books — the  con- 
venient wisdom  of  the  mighty  dead — but  admits  any  amount 
of  unwritten  dogmatism  from  the  chair  of  the  living  pro- 
fessor. Dr.  Alexander  often  dissented  from  the  learned- 
Genevan,  and  always  endeavoured  to  cultivate  in  his  students 
the  spirit  and  habit  of  original  investigation.  It  is  likely 
that  his  labours  at  this  period  derived  a  pecuUar  vivacity 
from  his  time  of  life,  from  the  freshness  of  the  employment, 
and  from  the  necessity  of  adapting  himself  to  a  limited 
circle.  He  very  laboriously  engaged  in  making  such  brief 
aids  in  the  w^ay  of  syllabus  and  compendium  as  might  fur- 
nish to  the  student  a  manageable  key  to  the  whole  classifica- 
tion. He  prepared  extensive  and  minute  questions,  going 
into  all  the  ramifications  of  theology  ;  lists  of  which  still  re- 
main in  the  hands  of  some  alnmni.  He  assigned  subjects 
for  original  dissertations,  which  were  publicly  read,  and  com- 
mented on  by  both  professors  and  students  ;  a  near  approach 
to  the  acts  held  in  the  old  university  schools,  under  the  scho- 
lastic moderator.  To  this  were  added,  at  a  date  which  we 
find  ourselves  unable  to  fix  with  precision,  the  debates  of  a 
theological  society,  meeting  weeldy,  always  on  some  impor- 
tant topic,  and  always  closed  by  the  full  and  highly  animated 
remarks  of  the  professor. 

So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  discover,  the  general  plan 
of  the  studies  in  the  Seminary  received  its  form  at  this 
time  ;  there  wore  subsequent  additions  and  emendations,  but 
the  main  trunks  and  branches  remained  the  same.  This  is 
particularly  true  of  the  theological  course,  properly  so  called. 

24 


ARRANGEMENT   OF   TOPICS.  333 

The  natural  and  simple  liglit,  in  which  it  was  a  characteristic 
of  the  professor  to  view  all  subjects,  and  the  predominance 
of  logical  nexus  as  the  element  of  association  in  his  mind, 
concurred  to  cause  a  preference  for  the  ancient  and  more 
obvious  scheme  of  classifying  Scripture  truth.  Hence  he  did 
not  adopt  the  Federal  method  of  arrangement,  as  it  has 
been  called,  of  Witsius  ;  great  as  was  his  sympathy  with 
the  evangelical  warmth  and  unction  of  that  school.  For  the 
same  reasons  his  judgment  disapproved  the  order  suggested  by 
Chalmers,  in  the  preface  to  what  remains  of  his  original  and 
striking  but  fragmentary  theological  course.  For,  while  he 
agreed  with  this  great  author  in  considering  the  plan  of  re- 
demption as  the  ultimate  scope  and  crowning  glory  of  all 
theology,  he  nevertheless  preferred  as  a  medium  of  scientific 
communication,  that  disposition  of  topics  which  takes  its 
departure  from  the  Being,  Attributes,  and  Works  of  God  ; 
that  is,  from  Theology  in  its  strictest  acceptation.  On  each 
head  or  title  he  was  accustomed  to  assign  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  text-book,  to  be  carefully  perused  by  the  class, 
and  to  be  made  the  subject  of  a  sifting  examination  ;  also 
naming  the  chief  authors  who  had  treated  of  the  points  re- 
spectively, and  sometimes,  when  these  works  were  numerous, 
allotting  them  to  different  students,  with  a  requisition  that 
they  should  give  some  account  of  each,  either  orally,  or  what 
was  more  common,  in  writing.  This  examination  and  these 
essays  gave  rise  to  brief  but  animated  remarks  from  the 
chair,  and  he  was  never  more  felicitous  or  more  convincinGT 
than  in  such  impromptus  ;  in  which  his  eye  would  kindle 
and  flash,  and  his  expressive  face  become   radiant,  as   lio 


334  CONTROVERSIES. 

poured  forth  the  gatherings  of  an  extraordinary  emdition,  oi 
pursued  the  thread  of  nice  and  dehcate  analysis,  with  a 
clearness  and  closeness  of  argument  which  his  partial  hearers 
thought  unrivalled.  To  this  was  added,  however,  and  with 
greater  fulness  as  years  advanced,  the  delivery  of  formal  and 
elaborate  lectures  on  the  grand  articles  of  the  faith. 

The  division  of  this  department  into  Didactic  and  Po- 
lemic Theology,  which  the  Plan  of  the  institution  made 
imperative,  gave  the  professor  an  opportunity  to  go  over  all 
the  leading  doctrines  in  the  way  of  defence  against  the 
objections  of  errorists,  heretics  and  infidels.  In  doing  this 
he  brought  to  bear  his  remarkable  stores  of  recondite  reading. 
He  gave  the  biography  of  eminent  opponents,  clear  analyses 
of  their  systems,  and  refutation  of  their  reasons.  Of  neces- 
sity he  was  thus  carried  into  the  field  of  Dogmengescliichte^ 
the  progress  of  controversies,  the  debates  and  conclusions  of 
councils,  the  construction  of  creeds,  and  the  whole  round  of 
symbolical  theology.  What  might  be  considered  by  some  an 
inordinate  length  of  time  was  devoted  to  the  cardinal  difier- 
ences,  such  as  the  controversy  with  Deists,  Arians,  Socinians, 
Pelagians,  Arminians,  Papists  and  Qniversalists  ;  all  being 
made  to  revolve  around  the  Calvinistic  system,  which,  upon 
sincere  conviction,  he  had  adopted. 

To  prevent  a  return  to  this  subject,  we  shall  here  add  a 
few  words  concerning  methods  which,  as  the  growth  of 
experience,  were  not  matured  until  some  years  later.  He 
was  so  earnestly  in  favour  of  having  the  young  clergyman 
armed  at  all  points  against  adversaries,  that  he  greatly  ex- 
tended his  lectures,  so  as  to  embrace  the  varieties  of  Hea- 


POLEMIC    THEOLOGY.  335 

thenism  and  Mohammedanism  with  which  missionaries  must 
be  brought  into  conflict  ;  and  also  the  forms  of  error  which 
prevail  in  our  Western  country.  Accordingly  he  has  left 
copious  reviews  of  CampbelKsm,  Shakerism,  and  even  Mor- 
monism,  with  details  which  show  how  largely  and  attentively 
he  must  have  examined  all  the  available  authorities  of  these 
heretics.  In  conducting  these  studies,  he  alighted  on  a 
method  which  gave  him  great  pleasure,  and  was  always  in- 
teresting to  his  pupils.  Early  in  the  session  each  member 
of  the  class  had  allotted  to  him  some  erroneous  system  or 
controversy,  to  be  made  the  subject  of  a  dissertation.  The 
whole  term  was  sometimes  allowed  for  preparing  these,  and 
some  of  the  essays  became  almost  volumes.  Among  them 
were  productions  which  he  prized  very  highly.  All  this  was 
over  and  above  his  extensive  course  of  lectures.  He  was  far 
from  having  a  stereotyped  plan;  but  besides  undertaking 
new  subjects  of  instruction  in  the  close  of  his  life,  as  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  say,  he  made  frequent  changes  in  his 
modus  operandi  to  the  last. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  while  he  gave  diligent 
attention  to  this  part  of  his  duties,  he  was  in  no  sense  an 
active  controvertist.  In  private,  his  error,  if  he  erred,  was 
altogether  in  the  opposite  direction.  When  falsehood  was 
read  or  heard  by  him,  it  was  the  tendency  of  his  mind,  from 
its  strong  logical  interest,  rather  to  yield  himself  to  the  con- 
sideration of  adverse  arguments,  and  to  weigh  them  with  a 
judgelike  calmness,  than  to  seek  on  the  spot  for  weapons  of 
refutation.  His  practical  maxim  was  the  audi  alteram 
'partem  ;  and  those  who  were  privy  to  his  daily  studies  were 


336  INTIMACY    WITH    PUPILS. 

astonished  at  the  time  which  he  bestowed  on  the  most  dan- 
gerous writers.  And  yet  his  own  opinions  were  held  with  a 
firmness  which  in  his  mature  years  seemed  to  suffer  not  even 
a  momentary  shaking.  Tlie  habits  to  which  allusion  has 
been  made,  tended  beyond  doubt  to  produce  in  him  a 
peculiar  reserve  and  impartiality  in  stating  the  opinions  of 
adversaries,  and  in  refuting  them. 

There  is  one  charm  connected  with  the  opening  of  a 
theological  school,  which  belongs  peculiarly  to  its  infant 
state,  and  can  never  be  fully  regained  in  years  of  greater 
prosperity.  This  is  the  intimate  association  between  teachers 
and  scholars.  As  yet,  there  were  no  buildings  ;  the  profes- 
sor's house  was  at  once  library,  chapel,  and  auditorium. 
The  handful  of  pious  young  men  gathered  around  their  pre- 
ceptor almost  as  members  of  his  family  ;  going  freely  in  and 
out,  sitting  at  his  board,  joining  in  the  domestic  worship, 
and,  in  a  sense,  not  merely  learning  of  him  but  living  with 
him.  Tliis  continued  to  be  the  case  for  a  number  of  years, 
for  the  Seminary  began  with  three,  and  did  not  attain  the 
number  of  thirty  until  the  fifth  year  of  its  existence.  In 
such  a  state  of  things,  there  is  more  freedom  and  frequency 
of  intercourse,  than  when  more  than  a  hundred  are  collected, 
when  it  would  absorl)  all  the  time  and  strength  of  the  pro- 
fessor to  bestow  the  same  personal  attentions.  In  later 
years,  it  is  but  just,  however,  to  observe,  Dr.  Alexander  gave 
as  free  access  to  his  study  as  pupils  ever  enjoyed  of  a  teacher. 
Few  moments  of  the  day  passed  without  a  knock  at  his 
door  ;  and  as  his-  apartment  was  but  a  few  steps  from 
the  principal  edifice,  it  was  resorted  to  by  the  young  men 


CORRESPONDENCE.  337 

with  the  greatest  familiarity,  and  on  every  sort  of  errand 
both  temporal  and  spiritual.  We  may  here  add,  that  at  no 
time  of  his  life  was  he  accustomed  to  deny  himself  to  visit- 
ors ;  acting,  as  it  should  seem,  on  the  maxim  which  Payson 
adopted, — "  the  man  that  wants  to  see  me,  is  the  man  I 
want  to  see."  But  in  these  early  years,  the  relation  of  pro- 
fessor and  student  was  peculiarly  intimate,  as  will  be  remem- 
bered by  many  now  alive,  who  sought  his  advice  in  tho 
greatest  emergencies  of  their  sj)iritual  life. 

Some  extracts  from  a  family  letter  of  the  period,  will 
add  interest  to  this  time  of  transition. 

"  October  10,  1812. 

"  I  was  dismissed  from  my  charge  in  Philadelphia,  on 
the  22d  of  July.  You  may  guess  that  I  felt  some  regret  at 
leaving  a  congregation  in  which  I  have  reason  to  believe 
there  are  many  of  God's  dear  children,  particularly  among 
the  poor.  As  in  every  congregation,  however,  there  are  some 
who  are  not  of  the  right  spirit,  so  also  in  tliis  there  were 
some  men  rather  turbulent.  Though  we  never  had  any  con- 
tention in  the  Society,  I  could  perceive  there  was  fuel  to 
cherish  the  flame  if  it  should  ever  be  kindled.  The  labours 
of  a  city  minister  are  necessarily  very  great,  where  his  charge 
are  numerous  ;  and  it  is  extremely  diflicult,  with  any  exer- 
tion which  can  be  made,  to  afford  universal  satisfaction. 
And  upon  the  whole,  a  city  is  not  so  favourable  for  religion, 
except  among  the  poor  and  distressed.  I  have  every  reason 
to  believe  that  my  people  were  sufficiently  attached  to  me, 
and  parted  with  me  reluctantly  ;  but  most  of  them  were 


338  CORRESPONDENCE. 

convinced  that  I  was  following  the  path  of  duty.  It  seems, 
however,  that  God  had  a  controversy  with  that  city,  for  since 
my  removal  Dr.  Green  has  been  elected  President  of  this 
College,  and  has  determined  to  come.  Or  He  may  intend  to 
substitute  men  whose  labours  He  will  more  abundantly 
oless. 

•''  On  the  29th  of  July  I  removed  my  family  to  this'place, 
where  a  house  was  provided  for  us,  not  very  large  or  com- 
modious, but  the  best  which  could  be  obtained.  The  people 
here  we  found  very  kind  and  attentive,  and  the  situation  of 
the  place  remarkably  pleasant,  especially  in  summer.  Every 
place  however  has  its  inconveniences  and  difficulties.  Heaven 
is  not  to  be  expected  in  this  world.  External  circumstances 
go  but  a  little  way  towards  making  us  happy.  The  relief 
which  we  receive  in  our  afflictions  and  distresses  has  often 
more  real  pleasure  in  it  than  we  experience  in  our  great- 
est prosperity.  Little  things  often  disturb  our  peace  as 
much  as  great,  and  we  bear  small  adversities  with  less  pa- 
tience than  greater,  because  we  do  not  seek  '  grace  to  help.' 
During  the  whole  summer  our  family  has  through  God's 
mercy  enjoyed  uninterrupted  health.  I  am  greatly  pleased 
to  learn  that  some  of  your  children  begin  to  fear  the  Lord, 
in  the  days  of  their  youth.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  disap- 
pointed in  the  fruit  which  these  early  blossoms  promise. 
There  can  be  no  greater  pleasure  to  serious  parents  than  to 
see  their  oifspring  choosing  wisdom's  ways  and  ^  walking  in 
the  truth.' " — "  You  may  suppose  that  I  have  abandoned 
preaching.  Very  true,  it  is  no  part  of  my  office,  so  long  as 
the  school  is  in  a  place  supplied  with  the  Word  ;  but  as  I 


ATTENTION  TO  PREACHING.  339 

have  been  so  long  accustomed  to  preach,  it  does  not  seem 
pleasant  to  be  altogether  silent,  and  therefore  I  preach  every 
Sunday  evening  in  my  own  house  ;  and  as  often  as  oppor- 
tunity offers  I  ride  over  to  some  one  of  the  neighbouring 
congregations,  and  assist  my  brethren." 

Adverting  to  the  same  topic,  he  writes  January  27,  1813  : 
"  It  is  a  part  of  my  duty  to  preach  to  my  students,  who  are 
nine  in  number,  but  as  I  did  not  wish  to  interfere  with  the 
regular  worship  of  the  place,  I  instituted  a  meeting  on 
Sunday  evening  at  my  own  house.  No  persons  attended 
but  such  as  were  invited,  and  when  the  winter  commenced, 
very  few  could  attend  with  comfort ;  but  in  proportion  to 
the  difficulty  of  attending  was  the  desire  increased,  both 
among  the  students  and  citizens.  At  length  a  large  room 
was  fitted  up  in  one  of  the  College  buildings,  and  I  was  in- 
vited by  the  Faculty  to  preach  in  it.  The  place  was  very 
soon  crowded,  and  all  the  principal  families  in  the  place  and 
vicinity  took  the  lead  in  attending.  We  were  soon  obhged 
to  seek  a  larger  place,  which  was  also  found  insufficient  to 
contain  the  people  who  came.  Sometimes  more  than  a 
hundred  have  been  unable  to  get  in.  We  have  now  removed 
to  the  Refectory  or  Dining  Room  [the  present  Museum],  a 
room  which  will  hold  several  hundred  people  seated,  and 
even  this  seems  as  if  it  would  be  scarcely  sufficient.  The 
attention  of  the  people  is  uncommonly  solemn  and  many  ap- 
pear to  be  affected,  but  what  the  result  will  be,  God  only 
knows.  Two  particular  facts  have  encouraged  me  to  hope 
for  some  good  issue.  A  young  man  who  came  here  to  study 
divinity,  appeared  soon  after  his  arrival  to  fall  under  deep 


340  SERMONS   IN   PRINCETON. 

convictions.  He  came  to  me  and  told  me  with  many  tears, 
that  he  was  an  unconverted  man,  and  that  he  wished  to 
withdraw.  But  I  insisted  on  his  remaining,  and  he  has  ever 
since  been  much  exercised  in  mind.  The  other  case  was 
ver}^  unexpected  to  me.  A  daughter  of  .  .  .  called  on  me 
the  day  before  she  left  the  place,  to  converse  with  me  re- 
specting the  concerns  of  her  soul.  She  appeared  to  be  deeply 
affected,  and  so  far  as  I  could  judge  manifested  the  temper 
of  a  true  penitent.  She  regrets  very  much  that  she  has  not 
the  opportunity  of  making  a  profession  of  her  faith  before 
leaving  the  country.  This  family  has  been  uncommonly 
gay  and  thoughtless,  and  I  suppose  she  never  mentioned  her 
case  to  any  of  them.'' 

These  evening  services  are  well  remembered  by  many,  as 
connected  with  their  great  spiritual  delight  and  progress,  if 
not  with  their  conversion  to  God.  Young  men  of  different 
religious  persuasions  prized  these  evangelical  instructions  ; 
and  it  is  not  many  weeks  since  we  heard  a  bishop  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church  declare  that  this  was  the  best 
preaching  he  ever  heard.  Dr.  Alexander's  discourses  on 
these  occasions  were  uniformly  of  the  practical  and  experi- 
mental kind.  They  were  extemporaneous  and  animated, 
and  embodied  all  those  qualities  which  made  him  eminently 
popular,  especially  among  the  common  people,  who  preferred 
his  free  and  often  irresistible  invitations,  and  the  clear  ringing 
of  his  lively  and  penetrative  voice,  to  more  staid  and  scholastic 
addresses  which  smell  of  the  lamp  and  sacrifice  religious  to 
literary  merit.  He  was  sought  after  in  private  by  great 
numbers  who  were  in  distress  concerning  their  salvation,  and 


MANNER   OF    LIFE.  341 

was  invited  in  various  instances  to  labour  in  fields  which  the 
Lord  was  blessing  by  the  effusion  of  his  grace. 

"Two  weeks  ago/'  he  writes  in  the  same  letter,  "1 
visited  Elizabethtown,  to  see  the  work  of  the  Lord  which  is 
going  on  in  that  place.  Here  are  about  a  hundred  persons 
under  deep  impressions,  and  the  number  is  increasing  every 
day.  A  place  five  miles  beyond  has  also  received  another 
shower  of  divine  influence.  Some  remarkable  cases  of 
awakening  have  occurred  in  both  places.  0  that  the  blessed 
influence  may  spread  far  and  wide  !  " 

It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  no  letters  can  be  recov- 
ered, entering  into  any  detail  of  his  views  and  feelings  as  to 
the  great  work  of  education  which  he  had  begun,  or  the 
studies  which  he  was  pursuing.  Such  correspondence,  it 
is  well  known,  he  maintained  somewhat  largely  with  con- 
genial minds,  especially  with  Doctors  Kice,  Sj)eece,  and 
Campbell  of  Kentucky  ;  but  from  the  necessity  of  the  case 
we  must  allow  these  years  to  be  very  much  a  blank.  And 
even  in  regard  to  those  which  follow,  one  year  succeeds 
another  with  a  felicitous  sameness  which  leaves  little  for  the 
narrator.  The  same  cares,  the  same  labours,  the  same  con- 
tentment. A  beloved  wife  and  four  children,  with  an  in- 
creasing circle  of  pupils,  and  a  great  number  of  visitors,  made 
happy  days  in  the  humble,  cheerful  home.  Death  came  in 
and  bore  away  the  youngest  child,  an  only  daughter.  Dis- 
ease gave  frequent  cause  of  solicitude  respecting  the  others, 
whose  lives  were  nevertheless  preserved.  The  employments 
of  the  study  and  the  lecture-room  were  incessant  and  wear- 
ing, but  they  were  enthusiastic.     The  compilation,  coUec- 


342 


THE    WAR. 


tion,  translation,  revision  and  refutation,  incident  to  the  life 
of  a  young  and  ardent  professor,  went  on  with  a  diligence  of 
which  the  fruits  were  extant  for  many  years  in  piles  of  man- 
uscripts, some  of  which  became  lectures,  others  parts  of 
published  works,  while  all  have  long  since,  and  perhaps  in- 
tentionally, been  committed  to  the  flames. 

During  the  first  few  years  there  was  a  peculiar  glow  of 
delight  in  the  mind  of  the  professors,  when  small  companies 
of  alumni  began  to  try  their  gifts  as  probationers,  and  leave 
the  nest  as  the  first  fledged  of  the  new  institution.  But 
greatly  interesting  as  this  was  to  both  parties,  it  afibrds 
little  for  record,  and  most  of  the  persons  concerned  have 
long  since  gone  to  their  rest.  In  the  years  which  remain, 
therefore,  we  cannot  undertake  to  set  down  the  quiet  events 
in  the  way  of  annals.  Their  true  history  is  in  the  General 
Catalogue  which  registers  the  names  of  successive  classes. 

Externally,  the  period  of  which  we  write  was  troublous, 
for  the  war  with  Great  Britain  was  in  progress.  Except, 
however,  that  general  sympathy  which  every  good  man  must 
have  with  the  interests  of  his  country.  Dr.  Alexander  was  as 
.little  disturbed  as  any  man  in  the  land.  From  the  site  of 
Princeton,  the  village  was  again  and  again  traversed  by 
bodies  of  troops,  both  going  to  the  field  of  hostilities  and 
returning.  The  whole  population  was  much  agitated  by 
the  controversies  leading  to  the  war,  and  by  the  progress  of 
the  conflict.  Privately,  he  lamented  the  policy  which  in- 
volved us  in  these  troubles  ;  but  he  never  took  any  active 
part  in  politics,  never  preached  a  political  sermon  in  his  life, 
and  indeed  seldom  voted  at  an  election.     In  common  with 


ACCESSION   OF   DR.    MILLER.  343 

Christians  throughout  the  Union,  he  deplored  the  spiritual 
evils  consequent  on  the  war ;  and  it  was  too  evident  that  for 
many  j^ears  there  had  not  been  a  time  of  so  general  decay  in 
religious  zeal  and  activity.  The  even  tenor  of  his  studious 
life  was  nevertheless  pursued,  and  the  gentle  stimulus  of 
new  employments  added  to  his  happiness. 

But  the  event  most  worthy  of  being  noted  in  this  con- 
nection was  the  ^accession  of  a  colleague.  Hitherto,  as  we 
have  seen,  he  had  conducted  his  little  band  of  pupils 
through  all  the  parts  of  their  preparation.  The  Keverend 
Samuel  Miller,  D.  D.,  of  New- York,  was  elected  to  the  chair 
of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Church  Government,  by  the 
General  Assembly  of  1813  ;  but  in  consequence  of  a  violent 
illness  he  did  not  assume  his  duties  until  the  month  of  De- 
cember, in  that  year.  Dr.  Miller  brought  with  him  a  high 
reputation  as  a  preacher,  an  author,  and  a  Christian  gentle- 
man. He  was  about  three  years  older  than  his  colleague, 
being  accordingly  in  his  prime  of  mental  and  bodily  vigour. 
His  name  was  widely  known  from  his  "  Ketrospect  of  the 
Eighteenth  Century,"  and  more  recently  from  his  defence  of 
presbytery  against  the  attacks  of  Doctors  Hobart  and  Bow- 
den.  For  many  years  he  had  maintained  his  post  with 
honour  and  esteem,  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
New- York,  where  he  succeeded  the  venerable  Dr.  Kodgers, 
after  having  been  his  colleague. 

This  seems  to  be  the  first  place  offered  in  which  to  speak 
of  the  mutual  relations  of  the  two  professors ;  a  subject  to 
which  we  shall  revert.  For  six  and  thirty  years  they  labom-ed 
side  by  side  and  were  in  almost  daily  communication.  These 


344  'I'^E    '^'^O    PROFESSORS. 

were  circumstances  in  which,  if  any  where,  one  might  expect 
sinister  and  unkindly  attributes  to  be  drawn  forth.  In  many 
particulars  they  were  dissimilar  ;  indeed  tw^o  men  of  genuine 
piety  could  scarcely  be  found  more  unlike.  Dr.  Miller  came 
from  the  training  of  city  life,  and  from  an  eminently  polished 
and  literary  circle.  Of  fine  person  and  courtly  manners,  he 
set  a  high  value  on  all  that  makes  society  dignified  and  at- 
tractive. He  was  pre-eminently  a  man  of  system  and  method, 
governing  himself,  even  in  the  minutest  particulars,  by  exact 
rule.  His  daily  exercise  was  measured  to  the  moment ;  and 
for  half  a  century  he  wrote  standing.  He  was  a  gentleman 
of  the  old  school,  though  as  easy  as  he  was  noble  in  his 
bearing ;  full  of  conversation,  brilliant  in  company,  rich  in 
anecdote,  and  universally  admired.  As  a  preacher,  he  was 
clear  without  brilliancy,  accustomed  to  laborious  and  critical 
preparation,  relying  little  on  the  excitement  of  the  occasion, 
but  rapid  with  his  pen,  and  gifted  with  a  tenacious  memory 
and  a  strong  sonorous  voice  ;  always  instructive,  always  calm, 
always  accurate. 

His  colleague  had  received  a  lasting  impress,  in  manners 
and  labours,  from  a  very  different  class  of  influences.  The 
inward  principle  of  delicacy  and  refinement,  the  soul  of  true 
politeness,  we  think  we  may  assert,  was  within  him  in  high 
measure.  Perhaps  no  man  ever  more  respected  the  feelings 
of  others.  But  he  w^as  not  a  man  of  rules.  Eminent  natu- 
ral simplicity  was  his  characteristic.  If  this  led  him  to  be 
careless  "or  abrupt,  at  any  time,  he  cared  not  for  the  inele- 
gance, even  when  he  grieved  over  any  occasional  ofi'ence. 
His  studies  and  his  way  of  life  were  singularly  free  from  all 


DIFFERENCES.  345 

constraint  and  plan.  Though  a  perpetual  reader,  he  seemed 
always  to  read  for  entertainment,  rather  than  by  constraint 
A  friend  once  found  him  deeply  engaged  in  Jack's  old  wort 
on  Conic  Sections  ;  and  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  life  he 
perused  many  volumes  on  physical  philosophy.  His  rest  was 
in  continual  change  of  mental  pursuit.  Never  did  he  seem 
more  at  a  loss  than  when  called  upon  to  lay  down  regulations 
for  the  hours,  the  employments  or  the  behaviour  of  others. 
Perfect  liberty,  as  to  time,  pursuits,  and  even  bodily  move- 
ments, was  almost  his  passion.  SciTipulously  clean  in  his 
person,  he  never  seemed  to  advert  to  the  fashion  of  his  dress. 
Animated  even  to  vehemence  in  conversation  on  topics  which 
aroused  him,  he  often  had  his  fits  of  silence.  While  his 
door  was  open  to  every  visitant,  and  his  kind  counsel  was 
freely  given,  he  certainly  omitted  many  a  received  form, 
and  would  occasionally,  during  an  inordinate  visitation,  ab- 
stract his  eye  and  his  attention,  and  hum  a  tune  to  himself. 
In  the  pulpit,  he  was  most  himself  when  he  was  most  truly 
extemporaneous  ;  which  perhaps  was  in  the  mind  of  the 
learned  Chief  Justice  Kirkpatrick,  when  he  said,  with  a  jo- 
cose eulogy,  "  Dr.  Alexander  is  the  prince  of  Methodist 
preachers.'' 

With  such  marked  differences,  it  is  certainly  no  slight 
matter  to  record,  that  during  a  lifetime  of  common  service, 
these  two  men  never  had  an  alienation,  or  the  difference  of 
an  hour.  In  opinion  they  frequently  diverged  ;  yet  mutual 
respect  and  affection  were  never  violated,  but  rather  increased 
with  every  year  of  their  lives.  Placed  in  circumstances 
which  might  have  engendered  rivalry,  they  appeared  to  re- 


346 


HARMONY. 


joice  in  each  other's  gifts  and  success.  From  the  beginning 
of  their  acquaintanceship,  Dr.  Miller  always  resorted  to 
his  younger  colleague  as  his  wisest,  adviser  He  admired  his 
learning,  testified  the  profoundest  reverence  for  his  judg- 
ment and  piety,  coveted  his  company,  and  unfeignedly  de- 
lighted in  his  ministrations.  On  the  other  hand.  Dr.  Alex- 
ander regarded  his  friend  and  brother  with  the  heartiest 
affection.  Again  and  again  has  he  been  heard  to  say,  that 
for  the  charitable  use  of  his  means,  for  adherence  to  his  rules 
of  self  control,  and  especially  for  exemption  from  all  traces 
of  vanity  and  of  envy.  Dr.  Miller  surpassed  all  men  he  had 
ever  known.  He  was  fond  of  saying,  that  after  more  than 
thirty  years  proximity,  he  had  never  detected  in  his  colleague 
the  slightest  appearance  of  jealousy.  This  was  the  more 
remarkable,  as  it  is  well  known  that  with  all  his  varied  ex- 
cellencies. Dr.  Miller  as  a  preacher  was  less  followed  by 
popular  admiration  than  his  friend. 

Though  we  say  it  by  anticipation,  it  is  seasonable  to  add, 
that  as  years  rolled  on,  and  old  age  arrival,  the  concord  and 
affection  of  these  servants  of  Christ  presented  a  beautiful  and 
edifying  spectacle.  They  conversed  together  and  prayed 
together  ;  and  as  their  hoary  heads  appeared,  with  a  punc- 
tuality belonging  to  both,  in  the  devotional  and  other  more 
public  services  of  the  Seminary,  the  moral  influence  of  the 
sight  upon  their  numerous  and  respectful  pupils  was  happy 
and  indelible. 

After  the  arrival  of  Dr  Miller,  both  professors  were 
actively  engaged  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  not  only  in  Prince- 
ton, but  in  the  neighbouring  congregations,  and  even  in  tho 


PREACHING.  347 

two  great  cities,  where  their  labours  were  constantly  in  re* 
quest.  It  is  impossible  to  determine  which  of  them  most 
delighted  in  the  actual  labours  of  the  pulpit.  They  never 
spoke  of  these  as  a  burden,  but  eagerly  welcomed  them  ae 
a  satisfaction.  Before  the  erection  of  buildings  for  the  Sem- 
inary, there  was  no  separate  worship  on  the  Lord's  Day,  for 
the  students.  The  professors  however  preached  frequently, 
and  in  some  years  in  stated  rotation  with  others,  in  the 
village  church,  and  the  chapel  of  the  college  ;  the  control  of 
the  latter  service  being  in  the  hands  of  their  friend  President 
(rreen. 

At  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  the  institution,  a 
meeting  was  established  on  the  afternoon  of  the  Sabbath,  for 
the  spiritual  edification  of  the  young  men,  and  was  main- 
tained during  the  whole  life  of  these  professors  ;  it  will  be 
remembered  by  hundreds  as  the  Conference,^  and  shall  be 
more  fully  noticed.  The  colloquial  addresses  which  they 
delivered  here  would  form  a  system  of  experimental  the- 
ology, if  they  could  be  recovered. 


CHAPTER  FOURTEENTH. 
1813—1817. 

njWT    TEARS    OF    PROFESSORSHIP — HEALTH — THEOLOGICAL    STUDIES — NUM- 
BERS— FISCAL    CARES — REVIVAL     IN     COLLEGE — PREACHLNG SPIRITUAL 

COUNSELS — VIRGINIA — DR.  HOGE — DOMESTIC  HATJITS. 

IN  the  early  years  of  his  life  as  a  professor,  Dr.  Alexander 
began  to  endure  trials  in  regard  to  health,  which  were 
destined  to  Overhang  him  during  the  whole  middle  period  of 
his  activity.  Princeton,  a  place  proverbially  healthful,  so  as 
to  deserve  Witherspoon's  appellation,  as  the  Montpellier  of 
Ameiica,  is  nevertheless  like  that  salubrious  town  of  France 
exposed  to  the  sweep  of  angry  winds,  especially  about  the 
breaking  up  of  winter.  To  this  influence,  his  delicately 
sensitive  temperament  was  peculiarly  open.  The  east  vands 
of  March  and  April  harrowed  his  constitution,  and  produced 
a  train  of  most  distressing  symptoms,  chilliness,  nervous 
perturbation  and  dyspepsy.  At  this  time  began  that  morbid 
wakefulness,  which  kept  him  often  whole  nights  without 
refreshment.  He  became  thin,  and  haggard,  and  except  in 
some  short  intervals  this  was  his  condition  for  many  years.  It 
was  however  more  a  general  malaise  than  a  serious  disability, 

%  25 


PRIVATE    TOILS.  349 

by  which  he  was  harassed,  and  he  seldom  made  these  ail- 
ments a  reason  for  abstaining  from  duty,  either  at  home  or 
abroad.  Indeed  he  rather  sought  a  solace  in  more  intense 
occupation  of  mind,  which  in  turn  increased  and  perpetuated 
the  evil.  His  southern  friends  began  to  ponder  on  these 
appearances.  "  I  have  ever  believed,"  wrote  the  Eev.  John 
H.  Kice,  ''  that  your  present  situation  is  better  adapted  to 
yovu'  habits  of  feeling  and  of  previous  study,  than  any  other 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church ;  and  have  regarded  you  as 
more  usefully  employed  than  any  other  man  in  our  society. 
Nothing  could  make  me  wish  a  removal,  selfish  as  I  am,  but 
a  regard  for  your  health — may  I  not  add  your  life.  I  do  not 
believe  that  the  climate  suits  you.  If,  however,  you  could 
be  as  usefully  placed  any  where  to  the  South,  I  should  think 
it  your  duty  to  remove  ;  or  if  it  were  certain  that  you  can- 
not for  want  of  health  discharge  or  sustain  the  duties  of  your 
office,  I  should  think  that  another  habitation  ought  to  be 
sought.  What  may  be  the  result  of  certain  schemes  which 
I  now  have  in  view,  I  cannot  tell,  and  therefore  I  will  not 
communicate  them.""'**' 

This  was  the  time  of  his  arduous  labour  and  rapid  accu- 
mulation. With  a  restless  activity  he  pushed  his  inquiries 
far  beyond  the  field  of  his  prescribed  course,  which  was  suf- 
ficiently extensive.  From  this  time  forward  he  lost  no 
opportunity  of  procuring  every  accessible  volume  of  Latin 
theology,  belonging  to  the  German,  French,  Dutch  and 
Helvetic  schools  ;  of  these  an  unusual  store  may  be  seen  on 

*  Rev.  John  H.  Rice  to  Dr.  Alexander,  May  4,  1817. 


350  BIBLICAL    STUDIES. 

the  shelves  of  the  Seminary  collection.**  Nor  did  he  confine 
himself  to  dogmatic  or  polemic  works,  but  read  largely  in 
the  departments  of  Criticism  and  Hermeneutics.  During  all 
his  life  he  manifested  a  strong  turn  for  languages,  which  was 
now  indulged  in  connection  with  his  exegetical  studies  and 
instructions.  His  careful  application  to  the  Hebrew  and 
Grreek  texts  was  continued  as  long  as  he  lived.  He  assaulted 
the  Arabic,  but  as  he  said  with  little  proficiency.  In  Syriac 
he'  made  further  advances  ;  and  we  remember  the  lessons  in 
this  language  which  he  gave  to  a  student  of  1815,  afterwards 
widely  known  as  the  Reverend  Thomas  Charlton  Henry, 
D.  D.,  of  Charleston.  His  children  were  enlisted  in  the 
work  of  copying,  and  we  have  a  manuscript  on  Hebrew  Ar- 
chaeology, in  the  yet  unformed  hand  of  one  of  his  sons.  The 
reigning  controversies  of  the  day  awakened  his  lively  atten- 
tion, and  he  repeatedly  dipped  into  the  Greek  and  Roman 
classics,  and  even  into  works  on  mathematical  and  physical 
science.  It  was  characteristic  of  his  habits  to  seek  mental 
relaxation  in  a  change  of  grave  studies,  rather  than  in  what 
is  denominated  light  reading,  and  for  many  years  nothing 

*  It  is  with  a  pensive  interest  that  the  writer  remembers  having  noted  at 
Leyden,  for  the  entertainment  of  his  father,  the  series  of  portraits,  executed 
in  the  best  Dutch  style,  of  those  worthies,  in  leai-ning  and  science  as  well  as 
religion,  whose  names  he  had  so  often  heard  at  home ;  for  instance,  of  Joseph 
Scaliger,  Salmasius,  Heinsius,  Boerhaave,  Wesselius,  Cocceius,  Wittichius, 
Hoornbeock,  Van  Til,  three  of  tlie  faniiiy  of  Schultens,  Ruhnkenius,  Haver- 
camp,  Wyttenbach,  Wynpersse,  Van  Voorst,  Perizonius,  Witsius,  Hemster- 
huis,  De  Moor,  and  Schultingius ;  also  of  Vorstius,  and  Armiuius  and  Episco- 
pius,  side  by  side ;  information  which,  alas !  never  came  to  the  ear  for  which 
it  was  intended. 


INCREASED    NUMBERS. 


351 


was  more  common  than  to  find  his  evening  hours  spent  over 
some  ponderous  tome  of  the  seventeenth  century.  His  pen 
was  constantly  in  activity,  and  we  have  been  astonished  at 
the  extent  to  which  he  made  compilations  and  digests  from 
standard  works  in  other  languages.  By  slow  degrees  his 
body  of  lectures  on  divinity  was  growing  into  shape  ;  while, 
as  has  been  said,  he  preferred  on  many  accounts  to  express 
his  thoughts  in  the  lecture-room  in  the  unfettered  diction  of 
the  moment.  Neither  now  nor  at  any  later  period  was  -he 
much  addicted  to  modern  fiction  or  modern  poetry.  Without 
being  a  politician  he  was  always  a  reader  on  politics,  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  all  questions  of  American  states- 
manship, and  all  his  life  long  a  serious  and  diligent  student 
of  the  best  journals  ;  for,  like  Dr.  Arnold,  he  considered  "  a 
newspaper  one  of  the  most  painful  and  solemn  studies  in  the 
world,  if  it  be  read  thoughtfully."  In  a  word,  every  thing 
showed  the  vigour  and  spring  of  a  manly  spirit,  making 
trial  of  its  best  and  as  yet  un wasted  energies. 

The  number  of  students  during  these  years  was  con- 
stantly on  the  increase.  The  matriculations  were  in  1812, 
nine  ;  in  1813,  sixteen  ;  in  1814,  fifteen ;  in  1815,  twenty- 
two  ;  in  1816,  twenty-six ;  and  in  1817,  twenty-three. 
Among  these  were  some  who  are  living  as  ornaments  of  our 
own  and  other  churches,  including  two  bishops  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church,  in  Virginia  and  Ohio.  "  The  true 
heraldry  of  the  college,"  says  Chalmers,  "  is  her  sons."  The 
Princeton  Seminary  has  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  her 
escutcheon.  Among  those  who  still  survive,  it  is  a  pleasing 
duty  to  name,  as  falling  within  this  period,  the  Kev.  Henry  R, 


3d2  charitable  funds. 

Weed,  D.  D.,  of  Wheeling,  and  the  Rev.  William  Blain,  of 
Hudson  Presbytery,  two  of  the  first  three  alumni ;  Professoi 
Hooper,  of  the  Baptist  Church  ;  the  Rev.  John  Barnard,  of 
New- York  ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Howe,  of  the  Reformed  Dutch 
Church ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Swift,  of  Pittsburgh  ;  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Biggs,  of  Cincinnati  ;  the  Rev.  Doctors  Henry,  Snodgrass, 
Chester,  Hodge,  Sprague  and  Magie,  and  Bishops  Johns  and 
Mcllvaine.  But  nearly  thirty  from  these  six  classes  are  no 
more  on  earth.  President  Chamberlain,  of  Oakland  College, 
belongs  to  this  number,  a  man  of  talents  and  energy,  who 
came  to  a  tragical  end.  Professor  Graham,  of  the  Union  The- 
ological Seminary  in  Virginia,  died  almost  at  the  same  time 
with  his  venerated  preceptor.  Larned,  a  prodigy  of  early  elo- 
quence, whose  name  is  often  mentioned  with  those  of  White- 
field  and  Summerfield,  shone  brightly  for  a  few  years,  and 
then  closed  his  career,  in  New  Orleans.  Nevins,  of  Baltimore, 
wiU  never  be  forgotten  by  any  who  esteem  childlike  piety, 
united  to  genius,  wit,  and  oratorical  impression.  Newbold,  of 
1816,  was  the  first  of  a  long  catalogue,  who  devoted  them- 
selves to  foreign  missions  ;  he  was  cut  down  while  meditating 
a  life  of  hard  service  on  the  frontiers  of  Russia  and  Tartary. 
With  these,  and  with  all  his  students,  especially  while 
their  number  was  small.  Dr.  Alexander  maintained  the  most 
intimate  relations.  They  had  constant  access  to  his  fireside 
and  his  study  ;  and  were  aided  by  him  in  their  pursuits,  and 
encouraged  to  propound  difficulties  and  scruples  for  his  reso- 
lution. While  as  yet  there  was  no  church-scheme  for  the 
education  of  young  ministers,  a  certain  number  of  the  stu- 
dents  were    sustained   by    the   voluntary   contributions   of 


LIBRARY.  35^ 

churches  and  individuals  ;  and  the  sums  for  this  purpose  to 
a  large  extent  passed  through  his  hands.  Having  assumed 
this  labour  when  he  was  the  only  professor,  he  continued  it 
to  the  close  of  his  life.  As  the  numbers  increased,  and  as 
the  sums  came  in  irregularly  as  to  time  and  unequally 
as  to  amount,  the  administration  of  these  funds  became 
embarrassing,  and  but  for  habits  of  the  most  rigorous  exact- 
ness in  accounts  would  have  been  onerous  in  the  extreme. 
At  a  later  period  the  founding  of  scholarships,  and  the 
digested  plans  of  the  Assembly's  Board  of  Education,  placed 
this  department  of  labour  on  a  surer  basis.  But  the  whole 
affair  brought  the  professor  into  a  close  and  often  tender 
relation  to  deserving  youth,  who  confided  their  necessities 
to  him,  and  never  failed  to  find  in  him  a  gentle  and  sym- 
pathizing friend. 

In  this  connection  may  be  noticed  his  endeavours  to 
gather  a  library  for  the  institution.  At  first,  the  few  cart- 
loads of  old,  second-hand,  often  odd  volumes,  raked  together 
from  studies  and  garrets,  scarcely  deserved  the  name  of  a 
library.  We  well  remember  when  the  whole  collection  was 
contained  in  the  professor's  study.  The  gift  of  Walton's 
Polyglott,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Green,  was  the  first  token  of  any 
thing  like  a  literary  apparatus.  In  later  days  the  munifi- 
cence of  Mr.  Lenox,  Dr.  Sprague,  Mr.  Agnew  and  the  Messrs. 
Stuarts,  has  caused  a  happy  change  ;  but  it  is  still  to  be 
lamented  that  the  churches  at  large  are  supine  upon  this 
important  subject.  Public  libraries  Avill  generally  be  the 
exponent  of  the  degree  of  scientific  and  literary  advance- 
ment in  a  Seminary.     The  liberality  of  donors  should  be 


354  SERMONS. 

invited  to  this  object.  But  the  number  is  small  of  those 
who  estimate  the  necessity ;  and  zeal  for  great  librarie? 
always  infers  a  liigh  measure  of  literary  cultivation.  In  re- 
gard to  this,  we  have  become  accustomed  to  hear  the  most 
narrow  and  grovelling  opinions,  from  the  lips  even  of  clergy- 
men and  so-called  scholars  ;  as  if  the  only  intent  of  a  library 
was  to  furnish  pabulum  for  the  undergraduates.  For  almost 
forty  years  Dr.  Alexander  was  himself  the  librarian,  and  he 
never  relaxed  his  exertions  to  make  the  collection  mory 
worthy  of  the  place  it  occupied. 

At  this  time,  it  must  be  remembered,  no  buildings  had 
been  erected  for  the  use  of  the  Seminary.  When  the  number 
of  students  became  too  great  to  be  accommodated  in  the 
houses  of  the  professors,  they  resorted  to  the  public  rooms  of 
the  College,  which,  as  well  as  the  library  of  that  institution, 
were  hospitably  thrown  open  for  their  use.  During  a  part 
of  the  time,  also,  the  students  of  the  two  seminaries,  and 
the  village  congregation  worshipped  together  in  the  old  col- 
lege chapel,  which  is  now  a  gallery  of  paintings  ;  this  was 
when  the  Princeton  church  had  beeu  consumed  by  fire.  In 
this  place  Dr.  Alexander  delivered  many  impressive  dis- 
courses, which  are  remembered  by  persons  now  living.  At 
one  time  he  received  a  message  from  Dr.  Chalmers,  enjoining 
it  upon  him  to  regard  his  professorial  work  as  a  business  suf- 
ficient for  the  powers  of  any  one  man,  and  not  to  wear  out 
his  strength  with  preaching ;  but  such  was  the  demand  for 
his  pulpit  labours,  that  he  was  as  little  able  to  abide  by  this 
rule,  as  was  Chalmers  himself,  when  afterwards  he  assumed 
the  chair  of  instruction. 


REVIVAL   IN    COLLEGE.  355 

About  the  beginning  of  the  year  1815,  there  was  a 
general  religious  awakening  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey. 
"  The  divine  influence  " — ^we  use  the  language  of  President 
Green — "  seemed  to  descend  like  the  silent  dew  of  heaven  ; 
and  in  about  four  weeks,  there  were  few  individuals  in  the 
college  edifice  who  were  not  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  importance  of  spiritual  and  eternal  things.  There  was 
scarcely  a  room — perhaps  not  one — which  was  not  a  place  of 
earnest  secret  devotion  ! "  More  than  forty  students  gave 
favourable  evidence  of  conversion.  Among  these  were  a 
number  who  afterwards  became  members  of  the  theological 
institution,  and  some  who  rose  to  eminence  in  the  ministry. 
Such  an  event  could  not  but  extend  its  marked  influence  to 
the  Seminary.  The  students  of  divinity  were  much  engaged 
in  labours  and  prayer  among  the  youth  of  the  college,  and  a 
corresponding  solemnity  and  tenderness  were  spread  over 
both  bodies.  Dr.  Alexander  and  his  colleague  were  largely 
engaged  in  rendering  aid  to  Dr.  Green,  by  repeated  ser- 
mons and  exhortations,  and  still  more  by  private  counsels,  to 
such  as  were  affected  with  their  earliest  spiritual  distresses 
and  joys.  It  was  a  period  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those 
who  witnessed  its  remarkable  impressions  and  transforma- 
tions. Though  a  stiU  greater  revival  had  occurred  in  the 
preceding  century,  there  has  been  none  so  extensively  affect- 
ing the  college  in  any  later  year.  After  this,  as  from  time 
to  time  the  churches  of  New  Jersey  and  the  bordering  states 
were  visited  with  similar  refreshings,  the  seminary  professors 
were  accustomed  with  gladness  to  give  permission  to  their 
Btudents,  to  visit  these  scenes  of  grace,  for  the  increase  of 


356  SPIRITUAL    COUNSELS. 

their  experimental  knowledge,  as  well  as  for  the  exercise  of 
their  gifts.  They  also  made  preaching  excursions  them- 
selves, as  far  as  their  home  labours  allowed  ;  and  at  such 
times,  and  more  frequently  at  sacramental  gatherings,  Dr. 
Alexander  was  wont  to  break  forth  in  warm  and  melting 
harangues,  not  inferior  to  the  bursting  effusions  of  his  youth. 
For  notwithstanding  the  increasing  delicacy  of  his  health, 
he  could  endure  an  extraordinary  amount  of  labour  and  ex- 
citement ;  and  he  certainly  never  seemed  so  happy  or  so 
much  raised  above  himself,  as  when  amidst  listening  crowds 
he  was  proclaiming  the  boundless  riches  of  salvation. 

It  was  during  this  lapse  of  years  that  he  began  to  be 
widely  known  as  a  spiritual  adviser,  and  to  be  consulted  by 
distressed  minds,  on  cases  of  conscience  and  other  spiritual 
griefs.  Without  ever  seeking  this — for  he  always  seemed  to 
assume  the  place  of  an  adviser  with  reluctance — he  continued 
all  his  life  to  exercise  great  influence,  perhaps  his  chief  in- 
fluence, in  this  quiet  department  of  Christian  service.  For 
such  work  he  was  eminently  fitted  by  his  singular  caution 
and  wisdom,  his  personal  trials  of  heart,  his  deep  acquaint- 
ance with  the  inward  workings  of  grace,  his  sensibility  and 
tenderness  in  regard  to  the  afflicted,  and  his  characteristic 
secresy  and  silence  about  all  that  was  confided  to  him.  Cases 
of  this  sort  were  constantly  arising  among  his  own  pupils, 
and  those  who  had  lately  been  such.  As  he  advanced  in 
life,  these  confidential  applications,  both  in  person  and  by 
letter,  were  surprisingly  increased,  until  the  labour  became 
almost  burdensome.  But  it  was  undoubtedly  by  this  V3ry 
means,  noiseless  and  unobtrusive  as  it  was,  rather  than  by 


MODES   OF   INFLUENCE.  357 

formal  teaching,  by  sermons,  or  by  authorship,  that  he  built 
up  that  character  and  attained  that  influence,  which  were 
so  universally  recognised  in  the  church.  He  lives  now,  in 
the  memory  of  great  numbers,  especially  of  the  clergy,  as 
eminently  a  wise  (counsellor  and  a  spiritual  guide.  In  regard 
to  such  communications,  his  reticency  was  almost  extreme, 
and  of  his  large  correspondence  on  such  topics,  he  committed 
every  vestige  to  the  flames. 

While  we  are  alluding  to  his  influence  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  some  other  particulars  merit  a  passing  notice.  It 
was  not  yet  by  written  works,  for  his  career  of  publication 
had  not  yet  commenced.  The  moulding  power  which  he 
was  already  beginning  to  wield,  and  which  has  never  been 
denied  even  by  those  who  viewed  it  with  dissatisfaction, 
operated  in  more  silent  ways  ;  by  the  truth  communicated 
to  his  successive  classes,  and  the  impressions  left  on  their 
character  ;  by  a  large  and  valuable  correspondence,  the  very 
delicacy  of  which  has  prevented  its  appearance  more  largely 
in  these  pages  ;  by  ministerial  visits,  and  in  his  more  active 
years  by  journeys  ;  by  the  weight  of  opinion  and  argu- 
ment in  church-courts,  and  by  the  perpetual  force  of  his 
evangelical  preaching,  in  which  he  never  relaxed  till  the  very 
end. 

The  year  1817  brought  to  him  a  singular  gratification,  in 
a  visit  from  his  venerated  friend,  the  Rev.  Moses  Hoge,  D.  D. 
The  life  of  Dr.  Hoge  belongs  so  much  to  the  history  of  the 
Southern  Church,  that  we  feel  justified  in  adding  to  what  has 
already  been  said  some  particulars  from  another  manuscript. 
"  Moses  Hoge  was  the  son  of  a  very  intelligent,  orthodox  and 


3,58  VISIT   OF   DR.    HOQE. 

pious  farmer,  who  spent  the  early  part  of  his  life  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, within  the  bounds  of  the  Philadelphia  Presbytery.  With 
this  aged  man  the  writer,  when  very  young,  was  providentially 
led  into  an  acquaintance.  Travelling  in  1791,  he  had  the 
misfortune  to  have  his  horse  badly  foundered,  and  was  left  by 
his  company  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Solomon  Hoge,  in  Frederick 
County,  Virginia,  with  whom  the  old  gentleman  then  lived 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years.  Nearly  the  whole 
of  several  days  was  spent  in  listening  to  Mr.  Hoge's  explana- 
tion of  his  views  on  a  number  of  points  in  theology ;  and 
the  writer  can  declare  that  he  never  in  any  equal  time,  as  he 
now  thinks,  derived  so  much  light  as  from  this  aged  farmer. 
He  told  me,  that  when  grown  to  manhood  he  deliberately 
and  seriously  sat  down  and  went  through  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith,  to  see  whether  the  doctrines  were 
founded  in  Scripture ;  and  after  a  careful  examination  of 
this  formulary,  he  was  able  to  adopt  the  whole,  as  indeed  the 
truths  taught  in  the  Word  of  God.  He  was  often  present 
at  the  meetings  of  the  Philadelphia  Presbytery.  His  judg- 
ment in  regard  to  most  of  the  members  was  not  very 
favourable  ;  the  individual  whom  he  valued  most  was  a  Mr. 
Wilson,  whom  he  said  the  others  were  continually  persecu- 
ting on  some  account  or  other.  The  Presbyterian  Church 
was  that  in  which  Mr.  Hoge  had  been  born,  baptized  and 
educated,  and  with  which  he  first  joined  in  communion  ;  and 
in  this  he  continued,  until  the  Synod  passed  the  act  called 
the  ^  Adopting  Act,'  which  indulged  such  persons  as  were 
scrupulous  in  regard  to  certain  articles  to  express  their  ex- 
ceptions to  the  Presbytery,  who  were  permitted  to  license  and 


DR.    HOGE.  359 

ordain,  if  they  judged  the  matter  not  to  be  of  essential  im- 
portance. When  this  act  was  passed,  it  gave  great  dissatis- 
faction, and  some,  the  number  of  whom  cannot  be  deter- 
mined, left  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  joined  the  Seceders, 
who  were  then  beginning  to  raise  their  standard.  Among 
these  was  Mr.  Hoge.  This  fact,  so  far  as  my  recollection 
serves  me,  was  not  communicated  to  me  by  the  old  gentle- 
man, but  by  his  son  the  Eev.  Dr.  Hoge.  And  I  am  certain 
that  when  the  communication  was  made,  I  had  never  heard 
of  such  an  Act,  nor  (iould  ever  obtain  sight  of  it  until  the 
last  minutes  of  the  Old  Synod  were  published  a  few  years 
since. 

"Moses  Hoge  was  considerably  advanced  in  manhood 
when  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  Latin  language  ;  but 
by  diligence  and  assiduous  application  he  made  up  foi*  the 
loss  of  early  instruction.  Nor  had  his  mind  previously  been 
left  uncultivated.  Being  of  a  sedate  and  studious  turn  he 
read  many  books,  by  which  his  understanding  was  strength- 
ened and  enriched  with  various  knowledge.  It  has  often 
happened,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Graham  him- 
self, that  a  late  commencement  of  classical  studies  does  not 
result  in  an  imperfect  or  superficial  scholarship.  He  became 
an  accurate  and  profound  scholar,  and  acquired  a  perfection 
of  mental  discipline  to  which  very  few  attain.  Having  laid 
a  good  foundation  in  Latin  and  Greek,  he  resorted  to  the 
academy  of  Mr.  Graham,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  with 
indefatigable  industry,  and  exhibited  that  purity,  meekness 
and  devotedness  of  Christian  character,  which  conciliated 
the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.     Here,  also,  under  Mr. 


360  DR.    HOGE. 

Graham's  direction,  he  studied  divinity,  and  was  in  due  time 
licensed  to  preach  the  Grospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover, 
then  the  only  one  in  Virginia. 

"Although  Mr.  Hoge's  talents  were  of  the  first  order, 
and  his  knowledge  was  accurate  and  extensive,  he  had  a  poor 
delivery.  His  voice  was  husky  and  irregular  in  its  intona- 
tions, and  the  muscles  of  his  face  were  subject  to  a  peculiar 
and  visible  excitement  while  he  was  speaking.  When,  there- 
fore, he  obtained  licensure,  he  did  not  seek  any  conspicuous 
situation.  He  went  and  spent  some  time  under  the  roof  of 
the  Kev.  Dr.  Wadde],  then  the  most  celebrated  pulpit  orator 
in  Virginia.  What  benefit  he  derived  from  intercourse  with 
this  great  and  good  man  is  not  known,  but  it  is  certain  that 
he  ever  afterwards  entertained  for  him  the  highest  veneration 
and^the  greatest  admiration  of  his  talents.  Indeed,  Dr. 
Waddel  excelled  in  private  conversation  as  much  as  in  the 
pulpit,  and  was  always  ready  to  disclose  his  own  views  and 
sentiments  to  young  students  and  ministers  with  the  utmost 
freedom. 

"  Wishing  to  be  useful  in  conveying  the  precious  message 
of  the  Gospel  to  the  destitute,  Mr.  Hoge  had  his  attention 
directed  to  a  part  of  the  country  on  the  South  Branch  of  the 
Potomac,  where  was  a  tract  of  very  fertile  land,  and  where  a 
number  of  Presbyterian  families  had  settled,  but  where  no 
minister  of  the  Gospel  had  ever  resided.  Here  he  laboured 
assiduously  for  several  years,  in  the  study  and  in  the  pulpit. 
It  was  his  habit  to  write  every  sermon  and  commit  it  to 
memory.  At  first  he  cultivated  an  elegant  and  rather 
flowery  style  ;  but  finding  that  he  thus  shot  over  the  heads 


DR.    HOQE.  3gj 

jf  his  people,  some  of  whom  were  of  German  descent,  and 
imperfectly  acquainted  with  the  English  language,  he 
changed  his  manner  of  preaching  so  as  to  accommodate  him- 
self to  the  capacity  of  his  hearers.  In  this  sequestered 
situation,  Mr.  Hoge  was  deprived  of  all  literary  and  refined 
society,  and  was  very  far  removed  from  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  and  from  the  meetings  of  the  Presbytery,  which  he 
nevertheless  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  attend.  An  opening  [for 
removal]  occurred  at  Shepherdstown,  in  Berkeley  County, 
by  the  dismission  of  the  Rev.  John  McKnight  to  Pennsylva- 
nia. The  congregation  at  Shepherdstown  was  small,  but 
intelligent  and  highly  respectable.  He  had,  however,  to 
come  after  a  man  much  admired  for  pulpit  eloquence.  Mr. 
McKnight  composed  his  sermons  with  great  care,  and  after 
committing  them  to  memory,  delivered  them  in  a  very  pleas- 
ing and  animated  manner.  As  to  mere  elocution,  Mr.  Hoge 
fell  immeasurably  behind  his  predecessor  ;  but  he  possessed 
qualities  which  in  the  esteem  of  judicious  men  more  than 
compensated  for  his  want  of  eloquence.  He  had  a  pure  and 
ardent  spirit  of  piety,  and  always  fed  his  flock  with  sound 
evangelical  truth,  thoroughly  digested  and  prepared  before  it 
was  exhibited.  He  had  also  an  invaluable  habit  of  watching 
for  opportunities  to  be  useful.  Into  whatsoever  company  he 
came,  he  always  aimed  to  say  something  which  he  hoped 
would  be  useful.  Shepherdstown  was  at  that  time  under 
the  care  of  the  Carlisle  Presbytery,  but  Mr.  Hoge  was  a 
member  of  the  Lexington  Presbytery.  He  received,  there  • 
fore,  from  the  former  body,  a  letter  inquiring  by  what 
authority  he  occupied  a  vacant   congregation   under   theii 


362  I>R-    HOGE. 

care,  without  their  permission.  Mr.  Hoge  wrote  back  a 
letter  replete  with  Christian  feeling  and  good  sense,  and  with 
some  sprinkling  of  wit.  He  continued,  however,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Lexington  Presbytery,  to  which  were  annexed, 
some  time  after,  all  the  churches  in  the  Yalley  south  of  the 
Potomac. 

"Mr.  Hoge  remained  in  this  place  until  the  year  1807, 
when  he  received  an  invitation  to  become  president  of  Hamp- 
den Sidney  College,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
days.  Soon  after  his  removal  to  that  place  the  germ  of  the 
theological  school  was  formed,  and  he  was  appointed  profes- 
sor of  theology  by  the  Hanover  Presbytery  ;  and  a  number 
of  young  men  had  the  privilege  of  receiving  his  instructions 
in  theology.  This  was  the  origin  of  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  which  has  since  risen  to  importance,  chiefly  by 
the  unwearied  exertions  of  the  Eev.  John  H.  Eice,  D.  D. 

"In  the  year  1810,  Mr.  Hoge  was  honoured  with  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  by  the  College  of  New  Jersey. 
On  account  of  his  extreme  modesty  in  regard  to  his  own 
attainments,  this  was  quite  unexpected,  but  it  has  seldom 
fallen  on  one  who  more  truly  deserved  it.  His  success  in  con- 
ducting the  college  was  equal  to  any  reasonable  expectations. 
The  institution  being  almost  entirely  without  funds,  and 
having  fallen  into  much  irregularity  as  to  the  usual  order 
of  classes,  gave  some  difficulties  to  one  who  had  himself 
never  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  going  regularly  through  a 
college  course. 

^^  As  a  preacher.  Dr.  Hoge  was  much  admired  by  spiritual 
and  judicious  persons.    Men  who  had  never  been  accustomed 


PREACHING   OF    DR     HOGE.  363 

to  Presbyterian  preaching,  attended  with  delight  on  his 
ministry.  Among  these  was  the  late  eloquent  out  eccentric 
John  Randolph  ;  who  about  this  time  had  come  under 
serious  impressions  of  religion.  Mr.  Randolph  courted  the 
acquaintance  of  Dr.  Hoge,  and  entered  freely  into  conversa- 
tion with  him.  During  this  period  of  his  life,  Dr.  Hoge 
preached  without  writing  his  sermons,  and  commonly  without 
much  previous  study  ;  but  he  pursued  trains  of  thought 
which  had  become  familiar  to  him.  The  charm  of  his  preach- 
ing was  the  strong  genuine  feeling  by  which  he  appeared  to 
be  actuated  in  all  that  he  said  ;  giving  himself  up  to  such 
sentiments  as  at  the  moment  rose  in  his  mind  ;  and  his  pious 
emotions  during  utterance  were  often  exceedingly  strong. 
But  he  was  never  hurried  by  his  feelings  into  any  thing  like 
rant  or  extravagance.  He  never  lost  the  balance  of  his 
mind,  but  preserved  that  sobriety  and  solemnity  which  are 
always  wanting  where  extraordinary  excitement  takes  place. 
He  was  fond  of  casuistical  preaching,  aiming  by  nice  dis- 
criminating marks  to  remove  the  perplexities  and  doubts 
which  he  found  to  be  common  among  the  good  people  of  the 
region  where  he  now  laboured.  Perhaps  he  carried  these 
searching  disquisitions  too  far,  and  multiplied  the  evidences 
of  sincerity  too  much.  All  who  were  acquainted  with  Dr. 
Hoge  admitted  that  they  had  never  known  a  man  whose 
whole  character  both  as  a  Christian  and  a  minister  was  more 
unexceptionable  and  consistent.  He  seemed  habitually  to 
retain  on  his  mind  a  sense  of  the  Divine  presence,  and  was 
ever  ready  to  engage  in  the  most  spiritual  conversation.  He 
was  condescending  and  patient  in  dealing  with  the  most 


364  VISIT    OF    DR.    HOGE. 

ignorant  who  wished  for  instruction,  and  seldom  lost  an 
opportunity  of  addressing  a  word  of  instruction  or  exhortation 
to  any  servant  who  might  be  waiting  on  him.  He  seldom 
met  with  ill  treatment  from  any,  and  never  indulged  in 
angry  or  resentful  feelings.  In  regard  to  the  things  of  this 
world,  I  never  knew  a  man  more  indifferent.  Indeed  he  did 
not  suffer  his  mind  to  be  harassed  with  cares  of  this  kind. 
During  a  large  part  of  his  life  his  salary  was  very  small,  but 
he  was  contented  in  every  condition,  and  trusted  in  Provi- 
dence amidst  all  circumstances.  He  might  indeed  have  turned 
his  attention  to  farming,  as  was  the  practice  of  most  of  his 
brethren  in  Virginia.  But  he  had  set  out  with  the  determi- 
nation to  devote  his  whole  time  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
trusting  Providence  for  a  support  ;  and  he  advised  all  young 
clergymen  who  consulted  him,  to  pursue  the  same  course. 
He  however  never  censured  such  as  did  otherwise.  While 
president,  he  suffered  no  young  man  who  was  seeking  the 
ministry  to  go  away  for  want  of  support.  To  all  pious  youth 
his  purse  and  his  house  were  open,  and  he  treated  them  with 
all  the  kindness  of  a  father  and  all  the  familiarity  of  a  friend 
or  a  brother.  His  influence  on  young  men  was  exceedingly 
salutary.  When  he  found  them  self-confident  and  dogmati- 
cal, he  would  not  attempt  to  repress  this  disposition  in  any 
other  way  than  by  free  discussion,  and  by  showing  them 
difificulties  in  their  own  theories,  which  probably  had  never 
occurred  to  them. 

"  Though  his  health  had  been  declining  for  some  time,  Dr 
Hogewas  induced,  in  the  year  1820,  to  undertake  a  journey 
to  the  north.     He  had  a  particular  desire  to  meet  once  in 

26 


VISIT   OF   DR.    HOGE.  365 

Lis  life  with  the  American  Bible  Society,  for  which  insti- 
tution he  had  a  high  regard.  As  he  could  also  attend  the 
General  Assembly  as  a  commissioner,  and  visit  friends  that 
were  dear  to  him  at  Princeton,  he  determined  to  venture, 
weak  as  he  was  ;  and  at  first  it  seemed  as  if  his  health  would 
be  benefited  by  the  journe}^  He  attended  the  anniversaries 
at  New- York  in  the  beginning  of  May,  and  then  on  his 
return  stopped  at  Princeton,  where  he  spent  several  days  in 
cheerful  and  useful  conversation  with  an  old  friend.  He 
seemed  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  place  and  its  important 
institutions,  and  especially  felt  himself  to  be  on  hallowed 
ground,  when  he  reflected  that  the  ashes  of  Burr,  Edwards, 
Davies,  Witherspoon  and  Smith  were  deposited  in  the  ceme- 
tery. It  was  an  object  of  special  desire  with  him  to  visit  the 
tombs  of  these  eminent  men,  to  whom  the  Presbyterian 
Church  is  so  much  indebted.  But  soon  after  his  arrival  in 
Princeton,  there  came  on  a  cold  eastern  rain  which  continued 
for  several  days.  He  went  out  in  this  inclement  time,  and 
stood  long  enough  to  read  all  the  Latin  epitaphs,  some  of 
which  are  long.  This  imprudence,  if  it  may  be  so  called, 
was  the  occasion  of  his  death. 

*^  The  writer  accompanied  him  to  Philadelphia,  and  the 
first  night  was  spent  in  Trenton,  where,  at  the  earnest  request 
of  several  persons,  Dr.  Hoge  preached  in  the  church  by 
candle-light.  Very  little  opportunity  was  offered  for  giving 
notice,  except  by  the  ringing  of  the  church-bell.  The  ser- 
mon vas  on  Romans  x.  9  ;  and  I  see  that  a  discourse  on 
that  text  has  been  published  from  his  manuscripts  ;  no 
doubt  the  same  in  substance  which  he  then  preached.    Soon 


366  RELATIONS   TO   VIRGINIA. 

after  arriving  in  Philadelj^hia  he  waS  seized  with  a  typhus 
fever,  from  an  attack  of  which  he  had  recovered  but  a  short 
time  before  leaving  home.  His  ilhiess  continued  several 
weeks,  so  that  there  was  opportunity  to  send  for  his  wife 
and  his  son  Thomas,  a  physician,  both  of  whom  arrived  before 
his  decease.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  the  exercises 
of  his  mind,  but  a  calm  submission  to  the  will  of  his  heavenly 
Father,  and  a  kind  and  grateful  feeling  to  all  around  him. 
His  disease  was  attended  with  much  languor  and  debility, 
which  could  not  but  affect  his  spirits,  and  prevented  that 
cheerful  animation  which  was  common  in  health.'' '•••" 

It  has  often  been  observed  with  justice,  that  though  Dr. 
Alexander  had  removed  from  his  native  state,  he  never  lost 
influence  there.  Until  his  last  breath,  he  was  intensely  a 
Virginian  ;  and  nothing  more  kindled  his  restless  eye,  or 
animated  his  nervously  mobile  frame,  or  called  out  his  col- 
loquial fires,  than  any  occasion  for  vindicating  the  honour  of 
the  ^^old  colony  and  dominion,"  as  the  ancient  writs  have  it. 
In  return,  his  opinions  continued  to  have  much  weight  in  the 
Virginia  churches.  More  than  once  they  sought  to  win  him 
back  to  their  bosom.  In  numerous  instances,  of  which  the 
precise  dates  are  unfortunately  lost  to  us,  he  made  visits  to 
this  beloved  region,  preaching  everywhere,  renewing  the 
friendships  of  his  youth,  mingling  with  the  immense  gather- 
ings, who,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  land,  met  or 
followed  him  at  sacraments,  presbyteries  and  synods,  and 
thus  keeping  up  the  connection  to  which  he  owed  so  much  of 
ais  active  usefulness.     It  needs  scarcely  be  said  to  those  who 

*  MS.  Life  of  the  Rev.  William  Graham. 


INVITATION   TO   VIRGINIA.  367 

knew  him,  that  as  it  regards  his  judgments,  feelings,  and 
policy,  he  was  uniformly  reckoned,  in  every  good  sense,  a 
Southern  rather  than  a  Northern  man.  More  especially  in 
his  abhorrence  of  extreme  and  fanatical  abolitionism,  he  never 
bated  a  jot ;  having  constantly  and  firmly  predicted  its  de- 
gradation into  infidelity,  which  has  now  become  patent  to 
the  world. 

For  evidence  of  the  strong  hold  which  he  continued  to 
have  upon  his  friends  in  Virginia,  we  need  only  advert  to 
some  transactions  which  are  brought  to  light  by  his  corres- 
pondence, though  never  made  the  subject  of  his  conversa- 
tion. In  1820,  he  was  again  elected  President  of  Hampden 
Sidney  College.  The  congregation  of  Cumberland  simultane- 
ously tendered  to  him  a  call  to  become  their  pastor,  with  the 
understanding  that  he  was  also  to  preach  at  the  College 
church  and  at  Briery.  Immediately  after  this,  the  Synod 
of  Virginia  chose  him  their  professor  of  Theology.  These 
offers  he  declined.'' 

A  glance  at  his  domestic  habits  during  this  period  will 
not  be  here  out  of  place  ;  and  what  is  to  be  said  may  be 
taken  as  applicable,  with  certain  obvious  modifications,  to  a 
number  of  preceding  and  following  years.  He  was  now 
between  forty  and  fifty,  slender  in  person,  clear  in  complex- 
ion, with  a  slight  silvering  of  his  abundant  brown  hair.  Hif 
body  was  open  to  sudden  impulses,  seldom  long  at  rest,  an^ 
prone  to  motions  and  gestures  which  were  highly  animate*^., 
and  expressive,  rather  than  graceful.  Like  most  new-comers 
from  a  city,  he  for  a  time  devoted  himself  to  horticulture, 

*  Letter  of  Col.  Sarauel  Venable,  October  28,  1820. 


368  DOMESTIC    HABITS. 

but  it  never  gained  his  heart,  and  he  pursued  it  less 
than  even  his  respected  colleague,  vp^ho  likewise  fell  off  in  his 
zeal.  He  was  always  an  early  riser,  and  the  older  inhabit- 
ants of  Princeton  bear  in  mind  his  frequent  long  walks  with 
his  three  elder  sons,  who  were  then  little  bo3^s.  He  long 
retained  his  youthful  fondness  for  a  horse,  and  indulged 
moderately  in  riding  and  driving.  Sometimes  visiting  the 
sea-side,  he  used  to  vaunt  that  he  could  swim  as  boldly  as 
when  he  was  a  child.  His  delight  was  in  his  family.  After 
being  deeply  absorbed  in  study  or  teaching,  he  would  come 
in,  full  of  animation  and  ready  to  relax  at  the  fireside.  It 
was  always  his  custom — a  most  delightful  one  for  all  about 
him — to  pour  out  the  fulness  of  his  thoughts  upon  all  that 
interested  him,  at  the  table  and  in  the  domestic  group. 
Coming  from  his  newspaper,  his  book,  his  class,  from  visits, 
church  or  journey,  he  gave  forth  a .  perpetual  and  vivacious 
flow  of  information.  Nothing  had  escaped  his  eye,  and 
nothing  even  of  details  seemed  to  be  withheld  in  his  narra- 
tive, yet  without  tedium  or  repetition.  These  daily  conver- 
sations were  the  chief  entertainment  of  his  life,  as  they  are 
the  most  delightful  recollections  of  his  household.  Through 
his  whole  life  his  house  was  much  frequented  by  guests,  but 
at  this  period,  though  his  quarters  were  never  so  strait,  he 
was  most  visited  from  abroad.  Giving  a  hearty  welcome, 
and  most  elated  when  his  table  was  fullest,  he  gave  himself 
little  care  as  to  display  or  fashion.  Many  who  may  read  these 
notices  will  recur  with  a  melancholy  pleasure  to  the  days 
and  weeks  which  they  have  passed  under  his  simple  but 
hospitable  roof     He  was  addicted  to  sacred  music,  and  as 


LOVE   OF   TEACHING.  3g9 

both  lie  and  Mrs.  Alexander  were  gifted  with  clear  and 
pleasing  voices,  the  hours  of  family  intercourse  were  enliven- 
ed by  many  a  psalm  and  sacred  song.  When  such  men  as 
Dr.  John  H.  Kice,  or  Dr.  Finley,  or  Dr.  Janeway,  were  added 
to  the  circle,  the  conversation  took  a  higher  flight,  and  we 
remember  in  his  fireside  discourses  of  that  day  a  vehemence 
and  impressiveness,  which  were  wanting,  except  at  some 
favoured  moments,  in  his  later  years.  In  all  that  regards 
the  indulgence  of  the  table,  he  was  frugal  and  plain  in  his 
tastes,  and  happily  temperate  without  .any  thing  like  dietetic 
rigour. 

Nothing  more  characterized  him  than  his  fondness  for 
communicating  instruction,  on  every  subject,  even  the  most 
elementary,  within  his  reach.  It  might  be  the  alphabet,  or 
Hebrew  and  Syriac  grammar,  or  geometry  and  surveying,  in 
which  he  was  fully  versed,  or  metaphysics  ;  he  was  unwearied 
and  delighted,  if  only  he  had  willing  learners  ;  and  he  had 
the  art  of  making  every  learner  willing.  Though  he  senf. 
his  boys  to  school,  always  giving  his  suffrage  for  the  day- 
school  method,  he  was  constantly  teaching  his  children. 
Every  one  of  them  received  from  him,  and  commonly  on  his 
knee,  the  rudiments  of  spelling,  arithmetic,  geography, 
algebra,  geometry,  and  the  classic  languages.  He  would 
pass  hours  in  a  day  giving  lessons  in  the  alphabet  ;  breaking 
off  a  hundred  times,  as  he  observed  the  first  symptom  of 
weariness.  •  For  in  regard  both  to  himself  and  others,  he 
acted  on  Shakspeare's  adage,  "  No  profit  grows,  where  is  no 
pleasure  taken."  Every  corner  of  the  house  was  occupied  by 
bits  of  paper,  flying  like  sibylline  leaves,  and  covered  with 


370  HOME   LESSONS. 

spelling-lessons,  executed  by  himself  in  printing  characters, 
and  decorated  with  bold  but  most  unartistic  drawings  of 
beasts,  birds  and  houses.  As  the  little  ones  got  on  to  the 
dead  languages,  which,  on  his  plan,  was  very  early,  similar 
papers  contained  lists  of  Latin  words  ;  these  were  to  be 
committed  to  memory  ;  and  in  the  case  of  one  son,  the 
number  of  such  words  amounted  to  thousands.  He  quoted 
with  approval  the  testimony  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  who  in 
presbyterial  trials  used  to  examine  the  candidates  on  '  voca- 
bles'  rather  than  on  translation  of  books.  These  avocations 
were  confined  to  no  hours.  It  might  seem  strange  how  he 
could  endure  the  interruption  ;  but  it  was  his  peculiarity 
that  he  seemed  incapable  of  being  interrupted.  Except  in 
hours  of  devotion,  his  study  was  always  free  to  his  children, 
even  the  youngest  ;  noise  made  no  difference  ;  their  books 
and  toys  were  on  his  floor  ;  and  two  or  three  would  be 
clambering  upon  him,  while  he  was  handling  a  folio  or  had 
the  pen  in  his  hand.  In  times  of  health  and  spirits,  his 
manner  of  playing  with  his  children  was  amusingly  romping 
and  even  boisterous,  and  he  threw  them  about  with  a 
sprightliness  which  often  extorted  a  momentary  cry  of  fear 
or  pain.  To  this  may  be  ascribed  the  unusual  freedom 
which  they  always  had  in  his  presence,  but  which  was 
checked  in  a  moment  when  he  grew  suddenly  sad  or  grave, 
as  was  often  the  case.  Before  dismissing  the  matter  of 
family  training,  we  ought  to  mention  his  constant  and  ani- 
mated conversations  with  his  children.  It  was  his  solace,  at 
home  and  by  the  way.  Without  the  slightest  appearance 
of  plan,  but  with  an  easy  and  spontaneous  flow,  he  was. 


GRAPHIC    PREACHma  37] 

during  some  hours  of  every  day,  pouring  forth  a  stream  of 
useful  information,  on  all  subjects,  but  chiefly  on  religion. 
The  whole  wealth  of  his  extended  reading  and  observation 
seemed  at  one  time  or  another  to  be  distilled  in  these  familiar 
interviews.  All  the  romantic  and  stirring  events  of  his  early 
mountain  life,  the  tales  of  Indian  massacres,  to  which  his 
grandmother  had  fallen  a  victim,  his  journeys  in  new  coun- 
tries, and  his  schoolboy  days,  came  in  for  their  share.  He 
excelled  in  graphic  narration,  and  attracted  the  attention  of 
guests  and  strangers,  even  when  directly  addressing  himself 
to  babes.  As  soon  as  a  child  could  comprehend  the  subject, 
he  began  with  the  beautiful  stories  of  the  Bible,  and  repeated 
them  again  and  again,  until  the  little  ones  were  perfectly  ac- 
quainted with  them  long  before  they  could  make  use  of 
books.  It  was  a  common  thing  for  his  hearers  to  be  melted 
to  tears.  This  natural  and  extraordinary  gift  led  him  to 
indulge  in  biblical  narrative  in  the  pulpit,  to  a  degree  which 
we  believe  to  be  uncommon,  and  gave  a  singular  attraction 
to  certain  discourses,  especially  on  the  parables  and  miracles 
of  our  Lord.  For  the  same  reason  his  addresses  and  sermons 
to  children  were  incomparably  winning,  and  his  labours  in 
this  kind  were  sought  for,  far  and  near,  much  beyond  his 
ability  of  supply.  Without  trying  to  speak  in  monosyllables, 
as  if  these  were  more  intelligible  than  longer  words,  he  al- 
ways made  himself  perfectly  intelligible  to  the  humblest 
capacity. 

Here  it  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  insert  the  testimony  of 
a  venerable  servant  of  God,  the  Kev.  Dr.  Samuel  B.  Wilson, 
since  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Union  Theological  Serai- 


372 


SERMON    AT    FREDERICKSBURG. 


nary.  The  incidents  which  he  relates  come  within  the 
period  of  which  we  have  been  treating.  "  In  October,  1816, 
the  Synod  of  Virginia  sat  in  Fredericksburg  : — Dr.  Alex- 
ander came  on  from  Princeton,  to  meet  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry  there.  To  these  brethren,  the  companions  and 
fellow-labourers  of  liis  early  days,  Tie  was  strongly  attached. 
According  to  the  custom  of  Synod,  there  was  preaching  every 
day  and  every  night  during  the  meeting.  The  congregations 
were  large,  attentive,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  services. 
The  Superior  Court  was  in  session  there  at  the  same  time, 
and  drew  together  a  large  collection  of  men  distinguished  for 
their  intelligence. 

"  The  fame  of  Dr.  Alexander  had  gone  before  him,  as  a 
superior  preacher,  and  a  man  occupying  the  highest  station 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Great  anxiety  was  conse- 
quently manifested  to  hear  him.  On  Sabbath  day  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord^s  Supper  was  to  be  administered,  and 
it  was  announced  that  Dr.  Alexander  would  preach  the 
Action  sermon.  At  an  early  hour  the  church  was  filled  to 
its  utmost  extent.  Among  the  audience  was  found  the 
Judge  of  the  Court,  Judge  Brockenborough,  of  Richmond, 
many  lawyers  and  physicians,  and  not  a  few  who  seldom 
entered  the  house  of  God.  Dr.  Alexander  began  his  sermon 
with  that  humility  and  simplicity  for  which  he  was  ever  so 
remarkable.  Such  an  introduction,  to  men  accustomed  to 
judge  of  greatness  by  pompous  manners  and  splendid  dic- 
tion, produced  a  feeling  of  disappointment,  and  one  eminent 
lawyer,  who  afterwards  became  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals,  rose  from  his  seat  and  left  the  church. 


THE    PASCHAL    LAMB.  373 

"  The  text  which  he  had  selected  was  1  Cor.  v.  7.  ^  For 
even  Christ  our  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us.'  As  he  ad- 
vanced in  explaining  the  origin,  design,  and  typical  significa- 
tion of  the  Jewish  Passover,  he  became  warm  and  animated, 
and  soon  commanded  the  attention  of  his  whole  audience, 
and  awakened  a  universal  and  intense  interest.  During  the 
discourse  of  that  morning,  which  many  will  recollect  as  long 
as  memory  lasts,  several  incidents  occurred  which  showed 
the  power  of  true  Christian  eloquence.. 

"  As  he  passed  from  the  description  of  the  Jewish  pass- 
over,  to  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  he  said,  bending  forward  and 
looking  intently  on  the  communion  table  spread  before 
him,  where  the  bread  and  wine  lay  covered,  ^  But  where  is 
our  lamb  ? '  At  these  words,  so  impressively  uttered,  and 
accompanied  by  a  gesture  so  significant,  an  old  French 
dancing  master,  who  scarcely  ever  entered  the  church,  rose 
from  his  seat  near  the  pulpit,  and  gazed  intently,  to  see  if 
there  was  not  something  on  the  communion  table,  which  he 
had  not  yet  seen.  An  intelligent  little  girl,  too,  who  sat  be- 
fore him,  after  she  returned  home,  said  :  ^  Aunt  H.  did  you 
ever  hear  such  a  man  ?  When  he  said,  "  Where  is  our  lamb," 
he  seemed  as  if  he  was  looking  for  a  lamb  on  the  communion 
table.' 

"As  he  proceeded  in  describing  the  successive  scenes  of 
our  Saviour's  sufferings,  his  hearers  became  deeply  and  almost 
universally  affected.  Feelings  which  could  scarcely  be  sup- 
pressed wem  manifest  in  every  part  of  the  house  ;  and  tears 
were  seen  rolling  down  the  cheeks  of  many  but  little  accus- 
tomed to  weep.     When  he  depicted  the  last  scene  of  our 


374  SACRAMENTAL    DISCOURSE. 

Saviour's  sufferings  on  the  cross,  that  power  of  descriptive 
painting,  for  Avhich  he  was  remarkable  in  his  pulpit  efforts, 
was  displayed  in  a  manner  rarely  surpassed  by  the  most 
accomplished  orators.  Amidst  the  unutterable  agonies  which 
Jesus  suffered  while  hanging  on  the  cross,  he  introduced 
Mary  his  mother  among  the  spectators,  beholding  the  cruel 
sufferings  of  her  beloved  son,  and  quoted  the  prediction  of 
Simeon  as  there  fulfilled  :  '  Yea,  a  sword  shall  pierce  through 
thy  own  soul.'  Such  was  his  gesture,  his  voice,  his  whole 
manner,  that  had  Mary  actually  stood  before  the  audience, 
with  flowing  tears  and  every  token  of  deepest  sorrow,  the 
impression  could  hardly  have  been  increased. 

"Dr.  Alexander  never  aimed  to  excite  mere  animal 
feelings.  The  effects  produced  were  the  result  of  Bible 
facts  and  truths,  clearly  presented  by  one  who  believed  them, 
and  felt  their  power.  During  the  delivery  of  that  discourse, 
it  would  have  been  easy,  repeatedly,  to  have  produced  an 
amount  of  feeling  that  could  not  be  controlled.  Such,  how- 
ever, was  his  command  over  himself  and  his  audience,  that 
besides  the  speaker's  voice,  notliing  was  heard  but,  here  and 
there,  a  half  suppressed  sob,  and  nothing  seen  to  disturb  the 
solemnity  of  divine  worship. 

"  Many  heard  Dr.  Alexander  on  that  occasion,  for  the 
first  and  last  time  ;  but  it  is  believed  that  the  revelations  of 
the  final  judgment  will  prove  that  liis  labours  then  were 
blessed  to  the  good  of  many  souls."  ^''" 

To  this  may  be  added  a  short  narrative  from  the  pen  of 

•  Virginia  Historical  Register,  Jan.  1852,  p.  43. 


COMMUNION    IN    PHILADELPHIA.  375 

the  late  venerable  President  Brown.  "  I  particularly  re- 
member," says  he,  "  some  time  after  he  went  to  Princeton,  a 
sacramental  service  in  the  Northern  Liberties,  where  Mr. 
James  Patterson  was  pastor.  There  had  been  an  extensive 
and  powerful  revival  of  religion  at  that  time,  as  there  had 
often  been  under  the  ministrations  of  that  excellent  though 
somewhat  eccentric  man.  The  church  was  crowded  ;  I  pre- 
sume a  majority  of  the  ministers  [of  the  Assembly]  attended. 
I  suppose  near  a  hundred  new  communicants  stood  up  in  the 
aisles  and  were  addressed  by  the  pastor.  After  this  Dr.  Alex- 
ander, who  had  been  previously  engaged  for  this  service,  arose 
to  administer  the  ordinance.  After  some  preparatory  remarks, 
before  distributing  the  bread  and  the  wine,  he  began  with  a 
supposition  that  the  Saviour  himself  was  present,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  inquire  what  in  such  case  he  would  probably  say. 
In  a  manner  at  once  plain,  solemn,  searching,  and  adapted 
to  the  various  conditions  of  Christians,  he  presented  the 
most  touching  appeals  I  had  ever  heard  on  such  an  occasion. 
It  almost  seemed  to  me  that  these  were  the  very  words  as  to 
matter  and  manner  which  Christ  himself  would  have  uttered. 
After  dispensing  the  elements,  he  concluded  in  the  same 
admirable  strain,  using  language  which  a  child  might  under- 
stand. He  addressed  different  classes  ;  first  communicants 
in  general ;  then  those  newly  admitted,  in  very  melting 
strains  ;  then  the  unconverted,  and  such  as  had  refused  to 
own  Christ.  He  addressed  the  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
*  fathers  and  brethren '  then  present.  He  addressed  young 
men  and  young  women,  and  closed  by  speaking  to  little 
children,  in  the  very  manner  of  Him  who  took  special  notice 


376  TRAITS   OF   PREACHING. 

of  such,  and  said,  '  Forbid  them  not/  The  effect  was  extra- 
ordinary ;  all  were  melted  into  tears.  I  had  never  heard 
any  thinpj  to  be  compared  to  it."* 

We  have  thus,  in  the  absence  of  documents,  and  in  re- 
gard to  a  period  prosperously  monotonous  and  void  of  great 
external  events,  endeavoured  to  fill  the  blank  with  minor 
characteristics,  which  go  to  make  up  the  portraiture  of  the 
man  ;  and  this  to  some  extent  must  be  our  resource  in  the 
shapter  which  shall  follow. 

*  Letter  of  the  Rev.  Matthew  Brown,  D.  D.,  to  Henry  M.  Alexander. 


CHAPTER  FIFTEENTH. 
1818—1829. 


OHUEOH  -  LABOUES  PEOGEESS    OF     SEMINAEY  —  PEIVATE     HABITS     ANB 

DAILY     EOIITINE THE     CONFERENCE CHAEAOTER   OF    HIS    PREACHING 

THEOLOGICAL     TROUBLES — COMMENCEMENT      OF      AUTHORSHIP — ^BIBLICAL 
REPERTORY  —  COLONIZATION CORRESPONDENCE. 


THE  period  of  ten  or  twelve  years,  beginning  with  1818, 
was  so  much  hke  that  which  preceded  it,  and  so  void  of 
stirring  changes,  that  we  feel  the  difficulty  of  treating  it, 
so  as  to  escape  the  charge  of  wearisome  repetition.  Yet  it 
was  a  time  of  quiet  and  happy  progress,  both  as  it  regards 
the  professor  and  the  school.  During  this  term  of  years  he 
made  several  visits  to  Virginia,  in  some  of  these  being  ac- 
companied by  his  family.  These  tours,  especially  in  the 
years  1818,  1821,  and  1825,  are  remembered  by  many  in  his 
native  State  ;  for  he  was  called  every  where  to  the  work  of 
preaching,  and  indulged  freely  in  that  flow  of  extemporane- 
ous argument  and  exhortation,  which  more  than  all  things 
else  seemed  to  bring  out  every  latent  power  of  his  mind  and 
heart.  He  was  also  during  these  years  repeatedly  a  commis- 
sioner to  the  General  Assembly.     In  this  court  he  was  fre- 


378  CHURCH   COURTS. 

quently  entrusted  with  important  parts  of  business,  and 
some  of  the  public  papers  bear  the  marks  of  liis  hand.  It 
cannot  be  said  that  he  was  a  frequent  speaker ;  but  when  he 
addressed  the  house  on  great  subjects,  to  which  he  very- 
much  confined  himself,  he  was  uniformly  heard  with  atten- 
tion, and  the  candour  and  force  of  his  argument  always 
carried  weight  with  the  hearers.  Some  testimony  of  his  co- 
eval and  friend,  the  Rev.  Matthew  Brown,  D.  D.,  President  of 
Jefferson  College,  cannot  here  seem  inappropriate.  "  I  find," 
says  he,  "  in  the  minutes  of  1803,  that  (Mr.  Alexander)  was 
one  of  a  committee  '  to  report  on  the  state  of  religion,'  as 
collected  from  the  statements  of  the  several  members  who 
were  called  on  in  order.  Mr.  '(afterwards  Dr.)  Miller  was 
chairman  ;  there  is,  however,  I  think,  internal  evidence  that 
it  was  written  by  Mr.  Alexander,  or  at  least  that  the  infor- 
mation and  sentiments  were  from  him.  No  man  in  that 
house  was  so  well  quahfied  to  give  a  faithful  account  of  these 
remarkable  revivals.  This  report  partakes  of  the  same 
spirit  which  led  him  to  write  the  History  of  the  Log  College. 
— There  was  one  memorable  occasion  which  is  worthy  of 
special  notice  ;  it  was  probably  in  1820  or  1821.  He  was 
the  chairman  of  a  committee  to  report  some  alterations  m 
the  old  Confession  of  Faith,  and  particularly  in  the  Form  of 
Government.  There  was  a  full  and  free  discussion  of  the 
changes  proposed.  He  spoke  very  little,  and  v^^as  always 
brief,  as  was  his  manner  in  church  courts.  On  this  impor- 
tant occasion,  he  was  frequently  called  upon  to  explain  ;  and, 
Jifter  attending  to  the  objections  and  debate,  he  arose  with 
^reat  modesty,  and  in  a  few  words,  in  a  lucid  and  conclusive 


PROGRESS   OF    SEMINARY.  379 

way  removed  all  the  difficulties.  This  usually  closed  the 
discussion,  and  I  do  not  remember  an  instance  in  which  his 
views  did  not  prevail.  It  reminded  me  of  what  is  stated  of 
Dr.  Witherspoon,  that  he  did  not  speak  until  other  members 
had  discussed  the  subject,  when  in  a  concise,  clear,  and  forcible 
manner,  he  gave  his  views,  and  generally  with  a  unanimous 
result.''  * 

On  practical  questions  we  are  secure  in  saying  that  no  man 
was  regarded  as  a  safer  or  wiser  counsellor.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  fair  to  add,  that  when  parties  ran  high,  his  charac- 
teristic mildness  and  caution  led  many  to  designate  him, 
sometimes  not  without  a  sneer,  as  a  moderate  man.  This 
term  was  used,  however,  solely  in  regard  to  measures  ;  for  in 
respect  to  doctrine,  there  was  no  period  of  his  life  in  which 
he  did  not  clearly  stand  forth,  beyond  suspicion,  as  a  believer 
and  maintainer  of  the  old  Westminster  tenets,  in  their  strict 
interpretation. 

In  the  Theological  Seminary,  every  thing  was  settling 
itself  into  an  established  form  of  prosperity,  which  gave 
general  satisfaction  to  the  Church.  The  numbers  had  been 
greatly  increased,  and  the  stream  of  accessions  was  steady. 
The  matriculates  were  in  no  year  fewer  than  twenty  ;  in 
1822  they  rose  to  fifty,  and  in  1823  to  sixty-nine.  The 
number  of  students,  which  had  been  forty-seven  in  1817, 
became  considerably  more  than  a  hundred.  Several  Synods 
began  to  entertain  the  project  of  a  full  endowment  for  three 
professorships.  But  there  was  nothing  which  made  a  greater 
impression,  on  students  and  on  the  public,  than  the  erection 
of  an  edifice  for  the  accommodation  of  the  young  men.    Into 


380 


COLLEAGUES. 


this  solid  and  excellent  building,  though  but  partially  finished 
within,  they  entered  in  the  year  1818.     About  the  same 
time  Dr.  Alexander  removed  his  family  into  the  commodious 
dwelling  in  which  he  was  destined  to  end  his  days.     At  this 
stage  of  progress,  the  public  rooms  of  the   Seminary  were 
within  the  large  edifice,  as  yet  the  only  one.    These  were  the 
Oratory  or  Prayer  Hall,  also  used  for  lectures  and  religious 
meetings,  and  theological  debates  ;  the  Kefectory,  and  two 
library  chambers.     All  concerned  felt  the  cheering  influence 
of  this  change  to  premises  which  they  could  call  their  own, 
and  which  had  an  air  of  comfort  and  permanency.     The 
students  were  brought  more  near  to  one  another  and  to  their 
teachers.  The  result  was  seen  in  greater  diligence  and  punctu- 
ality, increased  fellowship  in  religion  and  zeal  in  the  pur- 
suit of  knowledge  ;   so  that  we  suppose  there  has  never  been 
a  period  in  the  history  of  the  Seminary,  during  which  there 
was  more  animation  or  delight  in  all  parties.    Of  the  alumni 
of  this  period,  we  number  among  the  departed  such  men  as 
Dr.  Wisner,  of  Boston  ;   Dr.  John  Breckinridge,  and  Dr. 
Potts,  of  St.  Louis  ;  the  Rev.  Horace  S.  Pratt,  of  G-eorgia  ; 
the  Rev.  James  W.  Douglass,  of  Virginia  ;   the  Rev.  John 
H.  Kennedy,  of  Pennsylvania;  the  Rev  Joseph  Sandford,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  S.  Christmas,  of  New- York  ;  the  Rev.  Alexander 
Aikman,  the  Rev.  Professor  Dod,  of  the  College  of  New 
Jersey ;  the  Rev.  Samuel  G.  Winchester,  of  Natchez,  and 
the  Rev.  Theodore  Wright,  a  man  of  colour. 

In  the  new  circumstances.  Dr.  Alexander  felt  himself 
invigorated  and  advancing.  With  his  colleague,  Dr.  MiUer, 
he  maintained  the  most  pleasing  and  harmonious  intimacy  ; 

21 


HABITS   OF   THE   STUDY.  33] 

• 

and  when  an  additional  helper  came,  it  was  in  the  person 
of  the  Eev.  Charles  Hodge,  whose  talents  he  had  early  dis- 
cerned, and  whom  he  regarded  more  as  a  beloved  son  than 
^en  as  a  cherished  pupil.  He  had  by  this  time  accumulated 
and  digested  much  of  what  was  to  be  the  matter  of  his 
teachings  ;  at  least  he  had  surveyed  the  entire  field,  and  dis- 
tinctly marked  out  its  boundaries  and  divisions.  His  study 
door  was  over  against  the  Seminary  entrance,  and  very  near 
to  it.  These  few  steps  he  might  be  seen  to  take  day  by 
day,  at  the  appointed  hours,  always  in  full  time.  And  during 
many  years  of  his  life,  this  may  be  said  to  have  been  the 
only  bodily  exercise  he  took ;  as  he  was  now  sliding  into  that 
habit  which  afterwards  became  inveterate.  It  is  not  believed 
that  he  seriously  undervalued  the  importance  of  this  means 
of  health  in  others,  but  it  is  certain  that  in  the  last  thirty 
years  of  his  life,  he  used  as  little  bodily  motion  as  any  man 
of  his  times  ;  confining  himself  not  only  to  one  apartment, 
but  to  one  chair.  This  was  in  striking  contrast  with  the 
customs  of  Dr.  Miller ;  and  there  was  an  amicable  but  in- 
cessant controversy  between  them  on  this  point,  often  waged 
with  as  much  ability  as  jocoseness.  This  proximity  of  the 
Seminary,  and  Dr.  Alexander's  habit  of  never  denying  him- 
self to  visitors,  contributed  very  much  to  that  frequency  of 
interview  with  his  pupils,  which  so  many  of  them  remember 
with  pleasure.  At  all  hours,  and  often  in  an  unbroken 
succession  for  hours,  he  would  receive  visitors,  and  listen  to 
them  commonly  with  patience.  He  was  certainly  to  be 
forgiven,  if  sometimes,  in  the  presence  of  the  more  wearisome 
ones,  he  took  up  his  pen,  or  gazed  abstractedly  upon  that 


382  ROUTINE   OF   TASKS. 

distant  horizon  marked  by  blue  hills,  which  he  loved  to  con- 
template from  his  eastern  window.  Besides  the  perj^etua. 
work  of  preparation,  in  which  he  was  now  employed  literally 
every  day,  his  regular  public  services  may  be  stated  as  fol- 
lows. He  had  one  lecture,  daily,  which,  with  the  accom- 
panying examination  of  his  classes,  occupied  at  least  an  hour. 
On  Tuesday  evening,  he  attended  an  exercise  of  speaking, 
at  which  every  student,  at  stated  periods,  pronounced  a  dis- 
course of  his  own  composition,  on  some  religious  subject.  To 
this  was  added,  during  some  years,  the  delivery  of  complete 
sermons,  by  the  senior  students.  All  these  were  subject  to 
the  professors'  criticism,  and  in  these  exercises  the  labour 
was  shared  by  Dr.  Miller.  On  Friday  evening,  there  was  a 
debate,  on  some  point  in  theology  or  allied  subjects,  in  a 
theological  society,  comprising  almost  the  whole  Seminary. 
The  utmost  freedom  was  allowed,  and  the  debate  was  con- 
cluded by  the  summing-up  of  the  professors,  who  were  both 
always  present.  As  this  was  a  period  of  very  active  con- 
troversy in  our  Church,  on  those  points  of  theology  w^hich 
have  since  divided  us,  there  was,  as  might  have  been  ex* 
pected,  a  peculiar  animation  in  these  discussions  ;  and  in  our 
opinion  he  never  shone  more,  or  more  displayed  his  stores  of 
knowledge,  his  grasp  of  great  subjects,  or  his  acumen  and 
dialectical  force,  than  in  some  of  these  disputations,  w^hen, 
after  being  warmed  by  hearing  the  defence  of  specious  error, 
he  closed  with  the  establishment  of  sound  doctrine.  The 
professors  by  turns  attended  evening  prayers  with  the  young 
men ;  the  morning  service  being  conducted  by  the  senior 
students.      At   these    exercises,  Dr.   Alexander   sometimes 


THE    CONFERENCE.  333 

expounded  a  passage  of  Scripture,  and  sometimes  made  a 
brief  but  pointed  exhortation.  He  was  accustomed  also  to 
join  his  colleague  in  the  meeting  for  prayer,  known  as  the 
Monthly  Concert.  One  day  in  each  month  was  left  vacant, 
for  the  class  prayer-meetings  of  the  young  men,  and  for  their 
more  solemn  private  devotions,  to  which  many  of  them 
added  fasting  ;  and  it  was  common  for  the  professors  to  meet 
the  whole  body  at  a  certain  hour  of  the  day.  From  this 
time  forward,  even  before  the  erection  of  a  separate  chapel, 
there  was  a  discourse  to  the  students,  on  the  morning  of  the 
Lord's  Day  ;  it  was  delivered  alternately  by  Dr.  Alexander 
and  Dr.  Miller. 

But  there  was  no  exercise  which  more  impressed  its 
character  on  the  students  of  that  day,  than  the  Conference 
of  Sunday  afternoon,  which  has  been  already  mentioned. 
This  meeting  it  is  believed  owed  its  origin  entirely  to  the 
suggestion  of  Dr.  Alexander,  and  was  kept  up  as  long  as  he 
lived.  Indeed,  there  were  some  peculiarities  in  the  manner 
of  conducting  it,  which  may  be  said  to  have  grown  out  of 
his  remarkable  aptitude  for  free  colloquial  descant  on  re- 
ligious topics.  As  the  other  exercises  of  the  Seminary  were 
intended  to  give  fitness  for  the  external  work,  this  was  di- 
rected solely  to  the  cultivation  of  the  heart,  and  there  are 
not  a  few  who  bless  God  that  they  were  ever  brought  under 
its  sacred  influence.  Nothing  could  be  more  simple  than 
the  mode  of  managing  this  colloquy.  After  singing  and 
prayer,  a  subject  in  experimental  or  practical  religion,  which 
had  been  named  the  week  before,  was  discussed.  The  con- 
versation was  opened  by  one  of  the  students,  whose  turn  it 


384  THE   CONFERENCE. 

was  ;  any  others  were  allowed  to  express  their  views,  as  they 
were  called  on  in  order  ;  until  a  sufficient  time  had  been 
spent.  The  professors  then  closed,  with  a  familiar  discourse, 
of  from  twenty  to  thirty  minutes.  As  we  have  intimated, 
this  was  an  occasion  which  more  than  any  other  Dr.  Alex- 
ander used,  for  the  outpouring  of  his  profound  personal  ex- 
perience of  divine  things.  There  was  scarcely  a  topic  in 
regard  to  vital  piety,  which  did  not  come  into  discussion 
during  the  Seminary  course.  As  he  sat  in  his  chair,  he 
would  begin  with  a  low  voice  and  in  the  most  ordinary  tones 
of  conversation,  evidently  relying  upon  the  feeling  of  the 
moment,  as  raised  by  foregoing  remark,  for  all  his  animation. 
As  he  went  on  and  drew  more  largely  on  his  recollections 
and  his  consciousness,  he  seldom  failed  to  kindle,  and  some- 
times at  the  conclusion  left  all  present  in  a  state  of  high 
emotion.  These  remarkable  effusions  sometimes  almost  took 
the  form  of  soliloquy,  as  losing  sight  of  all  around  him,  he 
uttered  the  serene  or  enraptured  feelings  of  a  soul  in  com- 
munion with  God.  Singing  and  prayer  closed  the  service, 
which  commonly  occupied  about  an  hour  and  half.  It  is 
but  just  to  add,  that  Dr.  Miller  also  delighted  in  this  meeting, 
and  contributed  to  it  some  of  his  most  valuable  thoughts. 
His  little  discourses  here  were  always  digested  and  methodi- 
cal ;  enriched  with  many  golden  sayings  from  old  writers, 
and  enlivened  with  anecdotes  from  his  singularly  copious 
fund.  And,  as  his  colleague  was  often  heard  to  say.  Dr. 
Miller  evinced  more  and  more  spirituality  of  view  and  feel- 
ing, until  the  very  last. 

This  Conference  was  so  nearly  connected  with  the  reli- 


THE   CONFERENCE.  385 

gious  development  of  Dr.  Alexander,  that  we  shall  subjoin^ 
altogether  from  memory,  a  few  of  the  subjects  which  used  to 
be  treated  from  year  to  year.  They  were  such  as  these  : 
The  Work  of  the  Spirit  on  the  Heart. — The  Nature  of  true 
Conviction. — True  and  false  Sorrow  for  Sin. — Saving  Faith. 
— What  are  the  Evidences  of  a  Change  of  Heart  ? — Spiritual 
Joy. — The  Believer's  ^  first  love.' — Indwelling  Sin. — Temp- 
tation.— The  Mortification  of  Sin. — Symptoms  and  Cure  of 
Backsliding. — Apostasy. — Spiritual  Pride. — The  best  Me- 
thod of  reading  the  Scriptures. — How  to  conduct  private 
Devotion. — Kevivals  of  Keligion. — The  best  Means  for  the 
Conversion  of  Sinners. — Growth  in  Grace. — Spirit ual-mind- 
edness. — Dangers  of  a  Seminary  Life. — Religious  Conversa- 
tion.— Fasting. — Nature  and  Evidences  of  a  Call  to  the 
Ministry. — Christian  Consolation. — Views  proper  for  those 
who  are  about  to  enter  on  the  Work  of  the  Ministry. — 
ForeigQ  Missions  and  the  Missionary  Spirit. — The  Imitation 
of  Christ. — Religious  Melancholy. — The  Regulation  of  Ap- 
petite.— The  Unpardonable  Sin. — The  Assurance  of  Hope. — 
Preparation  for  Death. — Walking  with  God. — Divine  Medi- 
tation.— Brotherly  Love. — The  Sanctification  of  the  Sabbath. 
— The  Day  of  Judgment. — The  everlasting  Rest  of  the 
Righteous.  Of  the  opinions  which  were  expressed  on  these 
and  similar  points,  some  notion  may  be  gained,  from  the 
volume  of  Practical  Sermons,  and  es2)ecially  from  the  work 
on  Religious  Experience. 

During  all  this  time  he  was  preaching  as  much  as  many 
pastors.  Both  to  his  own  students  and  to  those  of  the  Col- 
lege, he  was  always  welcome  in  the  pulpit.     For  a  time,  he 


386  WRITTiiiN    SERMONS. 

and  Dr.  Miller,  assisted  afterwards  by  Mr.  now  Dr.  Hodge, 
preached  on  Sunday  evenings  in  the  village  church.  We 
have  said  before,  that  during  his  whole  life  as  a  pastor,  Dr. 
Alexander  used  the  free  method,  and  carried  no  manuscript 
into  the  pulpit.  After  his  arrival  at  Princeton,  he  began  to 
change  his  method  in  a  certain  degree,  making  more  experi- 
ment of  written  composition,  in  sermons  on  important  topics. 
And  what  he  wrote  he  also  read  ;  for  he  frequently  declared 
his  inability  to  commit  a  discourse  to  memory.  We  are 
bound  to  say  that  so  far  as  manner  and  impression  are  con- 
cerned, these  efforts  fell  far  below  his  ordinary  discourses. 
The  mntter  was  always  equally  valuable,  and  the  train  of 
thought  was  often  close  and  felicitous  ;  but  he  was  some- 
times indescribably  trammelled  by  his  paper,  and  was  not  a 
rhetorical  reader ;  so  that  whole  congregations  used  to 
brighten  up  as  with  a  ray  of  sudden  sunshine,  when  towards 
the  close  he  would  throw  up  his  spectacles,  cast  about  his 
penetrating  glances,  and,  as  if  indignant  at  his  duresse,  break 
forth  in  the  liberty  of  his  natural  eloquence.  No  two 
preachers  were  more  unlike,  than  was  he,  in  the  two  por- 
tions of  one  and  the  same  discourse.  For  this  reason,  those 
who  never  listened  to  him  at  home,  or  were  acquainted  only 
with  his  discourses  on  great  occasions,  which  were  carefully 
written  and  read,  have  but  the  faintest  idea  of  what  he  was 
as  a  preacher.  A.nd  the  period  of  which  we  are  writing, 
was  that  in  which  he  condensed  into  his  pulpit  exercises  the 
greatest  amount  of  theological  instruction,  with  the  still  un- 
wasted  vivacity  of  his  earlier  years.  In  two  classes  of  ser- 
mons he  especially  excelled  ;  first,  in  those  which  clearly  and 


TIMES    OF    DEBATE.  387 

connectedly  set  forth  the  different  parts  of  doctrine,  in  the 
way  of  definition  and  proof,  so  as  to  bring  them  within  the 
scope  of  the  humblest  minds  ;  and  secondly,  those  in  which 
he  gave  the  history  of  a  religious  experience,  in  its  origin, 
progress  and  consummation,  with  minute  dissection,  graphic 
detail,  and  moving  appeal  to  the  heart.  In  the  latter  of 
these,  there  were  many  who  considered  him  unsurpassed. 

There  has  seldom  been  a  time  since  the  opening  of 
the  Seminary,  when  it  did  not  contain  some  students  of  the 
Baptist  persuasion,  as  many  as  five  such  having  been  there 
at  once.  It  is  to  the  honour  of  both  parties,  that,  as  Dr. 
Alexander  loved  to  declare,  no  one  of  these  young  brethren 
ever  gave  occasion  to  censure  for  indecorous  propagandism,  or 
ever  took  offence  at  the  frank  expositions  of  doctrine  which 
were  made.  There  was,  about  this  time,  an  increasing  anx- 
iety in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  upon  a  number  of  ques- 
tions, both  doctrinal  and  practical.  These  unquiet  feelings 
were  naturally  reflected  in  the  students  of  the  Seminary,  who 
at  that  period  came  from  almost  every  State  of  the  Union, 
not  excepting  New  England,  which  was  indeed  largely  re- 
presented. It  began  to  be  seriously  questioned  by  many, 
whether  the  diversity  of  theological  opinion  existing  among 
our  ministers  were  not  too  great  to  be  comprehended  within 
common  symbols.  The  German  philosophy  was  as  yet  un- 
known, and  even  the  works  of  Coleridge,  which  afterwards 
opened  the  door  for  it,  had  not  been  read,  if  we  except  his 
Biographia  Literaria.  The' later  forms  of  new  divinity,  com- 
monly attributed  to  certain  New  England  theologians,  were 
only  beginning  to  assume  a  regular  shape.     The  conflict  was 


388  NEW    DIVINITY — NEW    MEASURES. 

therefore  still  very  much  upon  the  old  fields  of  the  preceding 
century,  and  disputation  ran  high  upon  the  points  mooted  by 
Hopkins  and  Emmons.  It  was  warmly  questioned,  whether 
the  mind  is  a  series  of  exercises  ;  whether  God  is  the  efficient 
cause  of  sinful  acts  ;  and  whether  the  unconditional  submis- 
sion of  the  new  creature  involves  a  willingness  to  be  damned 
for  the  glory  of  God.  Still  more  earnest  was  the  debate 
concerning  the  effects  of  the  fall ;  the  imputation  of 
Adam's  sin  to  his  posterity ;  the  imputation  of  Christ's 
active  righteousness  to  believers  ;  the  nature  of  moral  and 
natural  inability  ;  and  the  extent  of  the  atonement.  These 
questions  lie  so  near  the  foundations  of  religion,  that  they 
were  brought  into  view,  whenever  instruction  and  advice 
were  to  be  given  to  new  converts.  They  were  therefore  much 
agitated  in  the  great  revivals  which  at  this  time  were  spread- 
ing through  the  land.  By  many,  the  supposed  improvements 
on  some  of  these  heads  of  theology  were  held  forth  as  neces- 
sary to  the  work  of  general  conviction  and  renewal ;  they 
were  warmly  published  amidst  the  enthusiasms  of  great 
awakenings  ;  and  it  was  not  uncommon  to  stigmatize  those 
who  adhered  to  old  theology,  as  behind  the  age,  if  not  as  the 
enemies  of  revivals.  Out  of  the  same  extensive  excitement 
of  religious  feeling,  arose  new  questions  as  to  the  mode  of 
producing  and  managing  revivals  ;  and  hence  the  controversy, 
long  since  dead,  concerning  New  Measures.  There  are  few 
of  our  older  readers  who  need  to  be  reminded  of  the  alarm 
caused  by  the  methods  of  Mr.  Finney  ;  the  '  anxious-seat ;  * 
and  the  Lebanon  Conference.  These  once  momentous  topics 
l^long  to  our  narrative  only  so  far  as  they  had  a  bearing  on 


CONTROVERSIES.  389 

the  mind  and  labours  of  its  principal  subject.  As  a  theolo- 
gical professor  he  was  awake  to  the  important  bearing  of  all 
these  innovations.  The  questions  of  doctrine  were  continually 
coming  up  in  church-courts,  upon  the  examination  of  candi- 
dates, wliich  sometimes  afforded  opportunity  for  angry  and 
indecorous  wrangling  between  ministers,  over  the  heads,  per- 
haps, of  students  from  Princeton.  The  young  men  of  the 
Seminary  came  in  great  numbers  from  the  very  midst  of 
revival  scenes,  where  these  matters  of  controversy  had  been 
agitated,  in  connection  with  their  most  sacred  exercises. 
There  often  appeared  within  the  walls  of  the  institution,  hot 
and  valorous  youth,  who  were  wiser  than  their  teachers,  and 
eager  to  beard  a  professor,  and  make  converts  among  their 
fellows.  The  whole  of  this  period,  therefore,  was  one  of 
agitation  and  consequent  solicitude  ;  the  rather  as  the  num- 
ber of  students  was  so  great. 

These  were  circumstances  which  demanded  firmness  and 
discretion  ;  and  probably  there  are  few  who  on  looking  back 
will  not  acknowledge  that  Dr.  Alexander  displayed  both. 
As  was  before  said,  his  theological  opinions  were  settled,  and 
were  becoming  well  known ;  he  was  universally  ranked 
among  the  leaders  of  the  old,  or  as  many  deemed  it,  the 
obsolete  Calvinism  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  was  al- 
ways his  lot  to  suffer  most  in  reputation  from  those  who 
would  have  had  him  quicken  his  pace,  so  as  to  keep  abreast  of 
the  moving  column.  At  no  time  was  he  so  much  aspersed  as  at 
this  ;  and  not  a  few  represented  him  as  opposed  to  the  glo- 
rious work  of  grace  which  was  in  progress.  It  was  even  said 
that  he  was  utterly  unacquainted  with  the  phenomena  of 


390  MODE    OF    REFUTATION. 

religious  revival  ;  but  this  was  of  course  the  language  of 
such  as  had  no  knowledge  of  that  early  history,  with  which 
the  readers  of  this  volume  have  been  made  acquainted.  It 
may  be  safely  asserted  that  there  was  no  man  in  the  Church 
who  had  studied  more  closely  this  whole  subject  ;  and  it 
may  now  be  added,  that  the  sober  opinions  which  he  calmly 
maintained,  in  the  midst  of  great  opposition,  are  those  which 
have  since  become  the  settled  judgment  of  qur  Church.  Un- 
der such  a  pressure  he  was  led  to  examine  more  deeply  the 
foundations  of  his  system,  and  to  push  his  inquiries  into  the 
recesses  of  theology,  as  concerned  in  the  prevailing  controver- 
sy. It  became  also  his  sacred  duty,  to  inculcate  what  he  held 
to  be  truth,  with  augmented  diligence,  and  by  every  means  to 
guard  his  pupils  against  the  errors  of  the  age.  This  he  nevei 
attempted  in  the  way  of  direct  debate,  or  violent  assault, 
but  rather  by  the  safe  establishment  of  such  principles  in  the 
earlier  parts  of  the  course,  as  from  a  logical  necessity  should 
lead  to  the  reception  of  orthodox  opinion.  In  this  endeavour 
we  believe  the  charge  against  him  never  was,  either  that  he 
did  not  understand  the  points  at  issue,  or  that  he  failed  of 
success  in  implanting  his  own  doctrines  in  the  youthful 
mind,  but  rather  that  he  proceeded  by  the  way  of  circum- 
vallation  and  gradual  approaches,  so  that  the  conviction  was 
carried  before  they  were  aware.  Thus,  likewise,  in  regard 
to  revival  measures,  he  freely  expressed  the  results  of  his 
long  observation,  when  opportunity  was  given,  in  public  or 
private  ;  but  in  such  a  way  as  to  show  how  tenderly  he  dis* 
tinguished  between  the  genuine  work  of  Divine  grace,  and 
the  excesses  of  rash  and  fanatical  instruments      He  seize  ' 


AUTHORSHIP.  391 

every  fair  occasion  to  preach  the  Word,  in  seasons  of  awaken- 
ing, and  with  a  fervour  and  success  that  often  disarmed 
the  prejudice  which  was  ready  to  arise  from  mistaken  views 
of  his  position.  The  juncture  was  nevertheless  one  which 
called  for  circumspect  walking,  and  no  douht  led  him  to 
anxious  study  and  many  prayers. 

In  this  connection  it  becomes  necessary  to  notice  the 
commencement  of  his  authorship.  Few  men  whose  works 
fill  many  volumes  ever  began  to  publish  so  late  in  life  ;  for 
his  first  book  was  issued  when  he  was  about  fifty-two  years 
of  age.  The  method  of  preparing  for  the  pulpit  by  laborious 
but  unwritten  meditation,  was  certainly  unfavourable  to 
facility  in  composition.  He  had  given  a  few  occasional  dis- 
courses to  the  press,  had  contributed  some  articles  to  the 
Virginia  Religious  Magazine,  of  which  we  can  discover  no 
copy,  to  the  Assembly's  Magazine  and  other  periodical  works, 
and  had  amassed  piles  of  manuscript  upon  theological  sub- 
jects ;  but  he  was  yet  to  embark  upon  the  sea  of  publication. 
In  regard  to  style  he  was  a  rigorous  critic,  and  was  always 
dissatisfied  with  himself  He  never  manifested  the  slightest 
complacency  in  any  thing  which  he  composed.  He  would 
read  his  manuscript  aloud,  amend,  erase,  transpose,  and 
frequently  cancel.  Never  feeling  perfect  freedom  in  the 
flow  of  composition,  he  did  not  venture  upon  those  imagin- 
ative flights,  nor  break  into  that  opulence  of  expression, 
which  were  common  in  his  oral  discourses.  Hence  he  satis- 
fied himself  with  simplicity  and  clearness  ;  qualities  which 
his  written  works  possess  in  the  highest  degree.  In  regard 
to  his  style,  it  may  be  observed  that  he  went  always  for  the 


392  WORK    ON    THE    EVIDENCES. 

thought  rather  than  the  words^  and  was  never  led  along  bj 
the  bait  of  fine  language  or  the  development  of  a  figure.  The 
election  between  these  two  kinds  of  writing,  must,  we  suppose, 
be  made  early  in  life.  The  occasion  of  his  first  published  vol- 
ume is  worthy  of  mention.  It  was  about  the  year  1823, 
that  a  little  knot  of  young  skeptics  began  to  make  them- 
selves busy  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  and  it  was  feared 
that  the  evil  would  become  diffusive.  At  the  request  of  one 
of  the  tutors.  Dr.  Alexander  prepared  a  sermon,  much  longer 
than  his  wont,  and  delivered  it  in  the  College  Chapel.  The 
text  was  Luke  xii.  57,  ''  Yea,  and  why  even  of  yourselves 
judge  ye  not  what  is  right  ?  "  The  subject  was  the  Evidences 
of  Christianity.  The  discourse  had  a  happy  effect,  and  awak- 
ened so  much  attention  that  it  was  requested  for  the  press. 
On  preparing  it  for  this  purpose,  he  saw  room  for  much  ad- 
dition, and  at  length  brought  it  out  as  a  small  volume  in 
eighteens,  from  the  Princeton  press,  under  the  title,  "  Out- 
lines of  the  Evidences  of  Christianity."  A  second  enlarged 
impression  was  soon  called  for.  It  has  since  passed  through 
numerous  editions  in  England  and  America,  has  been  trans- 
lated into  several  languages,  is  used  as  a  text  book  in  many 
colleges  and  schools,  and  continues  to  find  sale  without  any 
diminution  from  year  to  year.  Of  this  little  manual,  Presi- 
dent Talmage  observes,  "  I  consider  it  one  of  the  most  per- 
fect models  of  classic  English  which  is  extant  ;  a  book  to  be 
closely  studied  by  the  scholar  not  only  for  its  masterly  moral 
demonstrations,  but  for  its  lucidness  and  purity  of  language." 
Yet  we  remember  that  the  author  sent  it  abroad,  with  little 
short  of  trembling.     His  analogous  treatise  on  the  Canon  of 


REVIEW   OF   MURDOCK.  593 

fche  Old  and  New  Testament  appeared  in  the  year  ]  826.  At 
that  time,  there  was  no  accessible  treatise  on  this  important 
subject.  It  contains  more  erudition  than  any  of  his  pro- 
ductions, and  was  immediately  taken  up  by  the  British 
press.  Although  the  substance  of  this  work  was  incorpo- 
rated with  the  last  improved  edition  of  the  Evidences,  he 
prepared  it  afresh  for  the  press  in  the  later  years  of  his  life. 
On  the  whole,  it  is  one  of  the  best  specimens  of  his  learned 
and  eminently  cautious  mode  of  investigation.  The  publi- 
cation, in  1823,  of  Professor  Murdock's  Discourse  on  the 
Nature  of  the  Atonement,  was  a  critical  event  in  the  theo- 
logical history  of  the  times.  In  opposition  to  the  views  there 
avowed.  Dr.  Alexander  contributed  a  series  of  articles,  occu- 
pying about  twenty-five  pages  in  Dr.  Green's  Christian  Ad- 
vocate."-'' 

In  the  year  1825,  a  quarterly  publication  was  issued  at 
Princeton,  under  the  title  of  the  Biblical  Eepertory.  It 
was  projected  and  undertaken  by  Professor  Hodge,  under 
whose  auspices  it  has  continued  to  flourish  till  this  day, 
having  now  completed  its  twenty-ninth  annual  volume.  As 
it  is  the  oldest  of  existing  American  theological  reviews,  so 
we  believe  it  to  have  as  wide  a  circulation  as  any.  Its  char- 
acter is  too  widely  known  to  require  our  commendation.  At 
its  inception,  the  plan  did  not  look  mucli  beyond  the  reprint 
of  rare  and  useful  treatises  on  Criticism  and  Hermeneutics, 
but  it  soon  became  the  channel  for  original  articles  on  theo- 
logical subjects.  Through  good  and  evil  report  it  has  pur- 
sued its  way,  and  has  contributed  more  than  any  other 
agency,  to  make  known  those  opinions  which  belong  to  what 

*  Christian  Advocate,  182-i,  pp.  7r>,  119,  168. 


394  BIBLICAL   RErERTORY. 

some  have  chosen  to  call  the  Princeton  School.  In  times 
of  controversy  it  has  not  refrained  from  a  free  expression  of 
judgment  on  great  questions  ;  and  its  pages  contain  ample 
discussion  of  all  matters  relating  to  the  defence  of  Calvin- 
ism and  Presbytery,  the  policy  of  the  Church,  the  charities 
of  the  age,  new  divinity,  new  philosophy,  and  new  measures, 
and  especially  the  difficulties  which  preceded,  accompanied 
and  followed  the  division  of  aur  ecclesiastical  body.  Some 
of  the  ablest  writers  in  our  communion  have  chosen  it  as  the 
vehicle  of  their  best  thoughts  ;  among  these,  to  say  nothing 
of  those  who  survive,  we  may  mention  Dr.  Miller,  Dr.  Green, 
Dr.  Eice,  Dr.  Fisk,  Dr.  Breckinridge,  Dr.  Winchester,  and 
Dr.  Dod.  From  the  beginning.  Dr.  Alexander  was  active  as 
a  counsellor,  and  from  the  year  1829  he  was  a  constant  and 
often  a  large  contributor.  Its  volumes  contain  some  of  his 
most  elaborate  and  memorable  treatises  on  theology,  besides 
many  essays  and  reviews  of  a  minor  sort. 

So  far  as  can  be  discovered,  his  lirst  contribution  to  the 
Review  was  an  Essay  on  the  Bible  as  furnishing  a  key  to  the 
phenomena  of  the  natural  world  ;  appearing  in  two  num- 
bers of  1829.  But  this  was  followed  by  one  of  his  most  able 
and  striking  productions,  namely,  his  review  of  Dr.  Thomas 
Brown's  celebrated  work  on  Cause  and  Effect.  As  a  teacher 
of  mental  philosophy,  and  one  well  versed  in  all  the  varieties 
of  Scottish  opinion,  he  looked  with  lively  interest  upon  the 
speculations  of  this  ftiscinating  writer ;  and  believing  them  to 
be  fraught  with  danger  to  the  cause  of  truth,  he  attempted 
a  refutation,  which  has  been  judged  fair  and  successful.  So 
far  as  we  have  learnt,  this  was  the  earliest  extended  reply  to 


REFUTATION    OF    BROWN.  3y& 

Brown  ;  for  Sir  William  Hamilton's  noted  revie  iv  in  the 
Edinburgh  did  not  make  its  appearance  until  the  following 
year.  To  this  dissertation  we  would  confidently  refer  those 
who  would  judge  of  his  qualifications  for  metaphysical  in- 
quiry, or  would  learn  the  methods  of  subtile  and  patient 
analysis,  for  which  his  lectures  were  remarkable.  In  this 
answer,  he  shows  that  on  Brown's  hypothesis  all  reasoning 
from  the  nature  of  an  effect  to  the  nature  of  its  cause,  or 
the  reverse,  must  be  futile  ;  that  this  defeats  the  teleiological 
argument  for  the  being  of  God  ;  that  it  destroys  human 
accountability  ;  and  hence  that  it  is  untenable  and  dangei- 
ous.  The  closing  sentence  is  characteristic :  "  That  his 
theories  have  in  some  instances  operated  unfavourably  on 
young  men  of  ardent  minds,  we  know  to  be  a  fact ;  but,  in 
our  opinion,  the  right  way  to  prevent  the  bad  consequences 
of  such  books,  is  not  to  prohibit,  but  to  answer  them,  and  to 
lead  young  men  to  peruse  them  with  caution,  and  at  the 
right  time." 

The  name  of  Dr.  Alexander  has  been  long  associated  with 
the  American  Colonization  Society.  Indeed,  if  those  who 
were  of  the  councils  which  projected  it,  and  early  committed 
themselves  in  its  favour,  are  to  be  ranked  as  its  founders, 
he  assuredly  deserves  a  name  among  them.  The  Kcv.  Dr. 
Eobert  Finley,  the  real  father  of  the  enterprise  in  its  mod- 
ern form,  was  a  native  of  Princeton,  and  au  alumnus  of  the 
College.  He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Dr.  Alexander,  and 
we  remember  the  lone;  and  anxious  interviews  which  thev 
held  upon  this  subject.  Dr.  Finley  once  said  to  his  friend, 
"  When  I  consider  what  many  others  have  effected  for  the 


396  DR.    FINLEY. 

Denefit  of  their  suffering  fellow-creatures  at  an  earlier  age 
than  mine,  I  am  humbled  and  mortified  to  think  how  little 
I  have  done."  This  he  uttered  with  ardent  emotion,  adding 
his  determination  to  engage  in  some  enterprise  for  the  good 
of  mankind.  Not  many  months  afterwards  he  disclosed  to 
the  same  friend  his  plan  of  a  colony  of  free  blacks  on  the 
western  coast  of  Africa.  The  scheme  struck  most  as  chi- 
merical ;  but  Finley  was  immovable,  and  from  the  very 
outset  Dr.  Alexander  was  as  sanguine  as  he.  The  first 
pubUc  meeting  which  ever  took  place  in  the  country  to  con- 
sider this  matter  was  held  in  the  borough  of  Princeton  ; 
where  Dr.  Finley  gave  an  exposition  of  his  plan.  The  meet- 
ing was  small,  but  among  those  present  were  the  professors 
and  most  of  the  students  of  the  Theological  Seminary.'^'  It 
certainly  added  to  the  interest  which  he  felt  in  this  under- 
taking, that  it  was  his  young  townsman.  Captain  Robert  F. 
Stockton,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who,  in  1822,  accom- 
panied by  Dr.  Ayres,  effected  the  purchase  of  Mesurado 
from  the  natives,  by  a  series  of  prudent  and  heroic  acts, 
which  almost  savour  of  romance.  He  never  faltered  in  his 
zeal  for  colonization.  When  others  fell  back,  he  was  always 
hopeful,  and  his  testimony  was  often  repeated,  ^' I  am  as 
fully  persuaded  that  the  plan  of  colonizing  the  free  people 
of  colour  in  Africa  is  wise  and  benevolent,  as  I  ever  was  of 
the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  any  human  enterprise."  "  It 
behooves  those,"  said  he,  "  who  industriously  sow  prejudices 
against  Coloni.zation   in  the  minds  of  the  free   people  of 

*  History  of  Colonization  on  tlie  Western  Coast  of  Afi-ica;  p.  80. 


OOLONIZATION.  397 

colour,  to  consider  what  injury  they  may  be  inflicting  on 
them  and  their  posterity.  Let  them  either  propose  some 
method  by  which  these  degraded  and  down-trodden  people 
may  be  rendered  more  comfortable  and  respectable  here,  or 
let  them  cease  to  throw  obstacles  in  the  way  of  their  emi- 
gration to  a  country  where  they  may  have  the  opportunity 
of  enjoying  the  real  blessings  of  freedom.  It  is  in  vain  to 
declaim  about  the  prejudice  of  colour ;  however  unreasona- 
able,  it  will  long  continue  to  exist,  and  will  prove  an  efiec- 
tual  bar  to  the  possession  and  enjoyment  of  the  same  privi- 
leges and  advantages  which  the  white  population  enjoy.  If 
I  were  a  coloured  man,  I  would  not  hesitate  a  moment  to 
relinquish  a  country  where  a  black  skin  and  the  lowest 
degree  of  degradation  are  so  identified,  that  scarcely  any 
manifestation  of  talent,  scarcely  any  course  of  good  conduct, 
can  entirely  overcome  the  contempt  which  exists,  and  which 
is  perhaps  stronger  in  the  free  than  in  the  slaveholding 
States  ;  and  I  would  use  every  exertion  to  reach  a  land 
where  it  is  no  crime  and  no  dishonour  to  appear  in  a  coloured 
skin,  a  country  where  no  white  superiors  look  down  upon 
the  black  race,  but  where  they  are  lords  of  the  soil  and 
rulers  of  the  nation.  I  admire  the  honest  ambition  and 
noble  daring  of  the  first  emigrants.  Then  no  Liberia  ex- 
isted. The  Society  owned  not  one  foot  of  ground  on  that 
continent,  and  it  was  extremely  doubtful  whether  th^y  would 
be  able  to  obtain  any  territory  for  a  colony.  Yet  these  lion- 
hearted  men,  resolved  to  run  every  risk,  took  their  lives  in 
their  hands.  Like  Abram,  they  went  out,  not  knowing 
cv^bithcr  they  went  ;  and  the  event  has  proved  that  they 


398 


VIRGINIA. 


were  called  by  the  providence  of  God,  to  engage  in  this 
hazardous  enterprise.  And  I  cannot  but  feel  pity  for  the 
grovelling  views  of  many  coloured  men,  now  residing  in  a 
Btate  of  degradation  in  this  country,  who  in  Liberia  might 
rise  to  wealth  and  independence,  and  perhaps  to  high  and 
honourable  office." 

The  visit  which  he  made  to  Virginia  in  1825,  gave  great 
pleasure  to  his  friends,  and  to  none  more  than  to  Dr.  John 
H.  Kice,  who  wrote  often  concerning  it.  "  If,"  says  he, 
"  you  could  but  have  witnessed  the  universal  burst  of  joy 
when  it  was  understood  that  you  were  coming,  and  the  deep 
disappointment  expressed  by  every  one,  on  hearing  that 
probably  you  would  not  come,  you  would  know  what  influ- 
ence under  the  divine  blessing  you  could  exert  here."  "  It 
is  not  possible  to  liire  a  carriage  for  you,  in  this  neighbour- 
hood. Nobody  will  hear  of  that.  I  do  trust  that  we  shall 
have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  and  hearing  you  talk  once 
more.  Your  head  quarters  must  be  with  us  ;  in  the  old 
hoase  occupied  by  you  so  many  years.  This  is  the  central 
point,  to  which  people  are  most  in  the  habit  of  coming  ;  and 
near  which  people  who  come  from  Cumberland  and  Charlotte 
will  find  it  easiest  to  get  accommodations."  Thus  wrote 
this  warm  friend  while  the  journey  was  in  prospect  ;  he  after- 
wards says  :  "  I  do  believe  that  it  would  prolong  your  life 
and  extend  your  usefulness,  if  you  could  make  such  a  visit 
every  year.  It  might  be  the  means  of  bringing  your  children 
acquainted  with  the  children  of  those,  who  will  never  cease 
to  love  you  with  a  fervour  and  perpetuity  of  afiection,  which 
is  rarely  to  be  found  except  among  old  Virginia  Presbyteri- 


CORRESPONDENCE.  'S\)d 

ans.  Come  then  often  among  us,  and  let  us  enjoy  the 
pleasure  of  showing,  or  rather  trying  to  show  how  much  we 
love  you."  And  again  :  "  Your  visit  last  summer  constitutes 
an  epoch  in  '  the  annals  of  our  Parish.'  Things  are  common- 
ly spoken  of,  as  happening  just  before,  or  just  after,  or  while 
Dr.  Alexander  wa§  here.  And  if  I  could  have  my  wish, 
you  would  render  your  last  services  to  the  Church  here,  and 
lay  your  bones  to  rest  in  the  land  of  your  nativity."* 
Amidst  public  duties.  Dr.  Alexander  found  time  to  indulge 
the  sympathies  of  Christian  friendship.  If  the  correspon- 
dence of  that  day  could  be  recovered,  especially  with  Dr. 
Rice  and  Dr.  Speece,  it  would  probably  give  a  picture  of 
his  inward  life  which  no  later  pen  can  supply.  A  few  letters 
have  been  preserved,  written  to  his  eldest  sister,  the  wife  of 
Professor  Graham  of  Washington  College  ;  with  this  excel- 
lent woman  he  maintained  a  correspondence  for  about  sixty 
years.  She  departed  this  life  in  1853,  while  this  memoir 
was  in  preparation.  In  the  year  1822  he  wrote  thus  to  her : 
"  I  am  afraid  from  what  I  have  heard  and  from  the  strain 
of  your  letter,  that  your  grief  on  account  of  the  death  of 
your  beloved  daughter  has  been  excessive  ;  that  you  have 
yielded  more  than  was  good  to  despondency  ;  and  that  you 
are  in  danger  of  sinking  into  a  settled  dejection.  I  know 
that  your  natural  disposition  exposes  you  to  an  extreme  on 
this  side,  and  that  unless  you  vigorously  and  resolutely 
oppose  it,  you  will  be  likely  to  do  yourself  a  serious  and  per- 
haps a  lasting  injury.     Grief,  like  all  other  natural  passions, 

•  Letters  of  Dr.  Rice,  March  18,  May  2,  August  6,  and  October  16,  1826. 


400  LETTER   OF   CONSOLATION. 

becomes  sinful  when  indulged  too  far.  It  then  involves 
always  some  want  of  confidence  in  God,  some  improper  feel- 
ing in  regard  to  his  government  and  will.  It  partakes  of 
the  nature  of  that  sorrow  which  worketh  death.  It  wastes 
the  spirits,  debilitates  the  body,  predisposes  to  various  dis- 
eases, unfits  for  the  discharge  of  common  duties,  destroys 
one's  own  peace,  and  adds  to  the  unhappiness  of  friends. 
Somehow  or  other,  we  are  not  so  much  afraid  of  sin,  when  it 
approaches  us  through  this  channel.  If  we  grow  light  and 
indulge  a  love  of  pleasure,  conscience  is  soon  wounded  ;  but 
we  are  ready  to  justify  our  sorrow,  and  refuse  to  make  the 
effort  which  is  necessary  to  check  it.  There  is  often  a  strong 
perverseness  in  the  human  mind  in  hugging  its  sorrows,  as 
if  they  were  valuable  or  sacred.  But  while  the  religion  of 
Christ  permits  us  to  indulge  our  natural  feelings,  it  strictly 
requires  temperance  here,  as  well  as  in  other  indulgences. 
It  requires  us  to  rejoice,  to  rejoice  always,  and  to  rejoice  even 
in  tribulation."  And  more  particularly  in  the  same  strain, 
at  another  time  :  "  I  feel  for  you  under  the  sore  bereavement 
which  you  have  suffered  ;  but  the  stroke,  though  severe, 
comes  from  the  hand  of  a  Father,  who  afflicts  not  willingly. 
Our  children  are  more  the  property  of  God  than  of  ourselves. 
He  gave  and  he  takcth  away,  and  it  is  our  duty  to  submit 
to  his  will  in  all  things  ;  for  whatever  he  docs  is  right,  and 
best  for  his  own  children.  Hereafter  tliey  shall  see  that 
there  was  a  propriety  in  all  his  dealings.  To  give  up  a  child 
or  other  dear  relative  whom  we  believe  to  be  prepared,  is 
comparatively  easy  ;  but  to  part  with  one  concerning  whom 
w^e  have  no  sure  ground  of  confidence — this  indeed  is  hard  ! 


DEATH    OF    CHILDREN.  401 

But  we  are  poor  judges  of  what  preparation  is.  We  know 
not  what  God  may  work  in  behalf  of  our  children  in  their 
last  moments.  We  know  not  but  that  the  principle  of  grace 
may  be  implanted  in  such  as  are  piously  educated,  earlier 
than  we  are  aware.  In  some  cases,  what  is  called  conversion 
may  be  no  more  than  the  development  of  a  principle  im- 
planted before.  We  know  not  how  far  the  promise  of  God 
to  believing  parents,  in  behalf  of  their  offspring,  extends, 
when  they  are  taken  away  in  tender  youth.  If  we  believe 
that  all  the  dying  infants  of  such  are  undoubtedly  saved, 
why  may  we  not  hope  that  those  who  have  advanced  a  little 
beyond  infancy  may  be  comprehended  in  God's  gracious 
covenant  .^  Many  who  never  profess  religion  exhibit  more  of 
the  Christian  temper  than  some  who  are  professors.  They 
are  diffident  of  themselves,  and  do  not  make  known  all  that 
they  have  experienced.  I  cannot  but  entertain  pleasing 
hopes  of  the  salvation  of  such  amiable  young  persons  as  have 
been  devoted  to  God,  and  early  imbued  with  Christian  in- 
struction, when  they  are  cut  off  by  premature  death.  It  can 
do  no  harm  to  hope  as  much  as  we  can  respecting  the  dead. 
Let  us  be  as  rigid  as  we  please  in  regard  to  the  living  ;  but 
it  is  no  dishonour  to  God,  nor  disparagement  of  his  truth, 
to  entertain  enlarged  views  of  his  mercy.  After  all,  humble 
submission  to  the  will  of  God,  from  a  trust  in  his  wisdom, 
faithfulness  and  mercy,  is  the  best  refuge.  When  Eli  heard 
the  message  of  God  respecting  his  sons,  his  language  was, 
*  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  what  seemi^h  him  good  I'  '  Be 
still,  and  know  that  I  am  God.'  These  sore  visitations  arc 
intended  to  answer  wise  and  gracious  purposes.     Let  us  en- 


402  LETTER    TO    HIS    MOTHER. 

deavour  to  profit  by  seasons  of  adversity.  For  most,  it  is 
good  to  be  afflicted.  Beware  of  a  gloomy,  disconsolate  mind. 
Let  not  grief  prey  upon  your  spirits,  and  unfit  you  for  the 
duties  of  a  Christian.  We  must  all  very  soon  die,  and  it  is 
much  better  that  our  children  should  go  early,  than  live  to 
be  old  in  sin,  and  then  die  without  an  interest  in  Christ. 
Cast  all  your  care  upon  the  Lord.  Commit  all  into  his  hands. 
Blessed  are  they  that  trust  in  liim  ! '' 

A  place  is  due  also,  to  the  only  letter  to  his  aged  and 
declining  mother,  which  is  known  to  be  in  existence. 


DR.  ALEXANDER  TO  HIS  MOTHER. 

"Princeton,  May  25,  1823. 

"  My  dear  Mother  : — 

"When  I  last  saw  you,  it  was  very  doubtful  whether 
you  would  ever  rise  again  from  the  bed  to  which  you  were 
confined.  Indeed,  considering  your  great  age,  it  was  not  to 
be  expected  that  you  should  entirely  recover  your  usual 
health.  I  was  much  gratified  to  find  that  in  the  near  pros- 
pect of  eternity,  your  faith  did  not  fail,  but  that  you  could 
look  death  in  the  face  without  dismay,  and  felt  .willing,  if  it 
were  the  will  of  God,  to  depart  from  this  world  of  sorrow 
and  disappointment.  But  it  has  pleased  your  Heavenly 
Father  to  continue  you  a  little  longer  in  the  world.  I  regret 
to  learn  that  you  have  endured  much  pain  from  a  disease  of 
your  eyes,  and  thai^you  have  been  Ifss  comfortable  than 
formerly.  Bodily  afiliction  you  must  expect  to  endure  as 
long  as  you  continue  in  the  world.     '  The  days  of  our  years 


LETTER    TO   HIS   MOTHER.  403 

are  three-score  years  and  ten,  and  if  by  reason  of  strength 
they  be  four-score  years,  yet  is  their  strength  labour  and 
sorrow  ;  for  it  is  soon  cut  off,  and  we  fly  away/  But  while 
your  Heavenly  Father  continues  you  in  this  troublesome 
world,  he  will,  I  trust,  enable  you  to  be  resigned  and  con- 
tented and  patient  under  the  manifold  afflictions  which  are 
incident  to  old  age. 

"The  great  secret  of  true  comfort  lies  in  a  single  word, 
Trust.  Cast  your  burdens  on  the  Lord,  and  he  will  sustain 
them.  If  your  evidences  of  being  in  the  favour  of  God  are 
obscured,  if  you  are  doubtful  of  your  acceptance  with  him, 
still  go  directly  to  him  by  faith  ;  that  is,  trust  in  his  mercy 
and  in  Christ's  merits.  Kely  simply  on  his  word  of  promise. 
Be  not  afraid  to  exercise  confidence.  There  can  be  no  de- 
ception in  depending  entirely  on  the  Word  of  God.  It  is 
not  presumption  to  trust  in  him  when  he  has  commanded  us 
to  do  so.  We  dishonour  him  by  our  fearfulness  and  want  of 
confidence.  We  thus  call  in  question  his  faithfulness  and 
his  goodness.  Whether  your  mind  is  comfortable  or  dis- 
tressed, flee  for  refuge  to  the  outstretched  wings  of  his  pro- 
tection and  mercy.  There  is  all  fulness  in  him  ;  there  is  all 
willingness  to  bestow  what  we  need.  He  says,  ^  My  grace  is 
sufficient  for  thee.  My  strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness. 
As  thy  day  is  so  shall  thy  strength  be.  I  will  never  leave 
thee  nor  forsake  thee.  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil  ;  for  thou  art  with 
me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me.'  Be  not  afraid 
of  the  pangs  of  death.  Be  not  afraid  that  your  Redeemer 
will  then  be  afar  off.     Grace  to  die  comfortably  is  not  com- 


404  LETTER    TO    HIS    MOTHER. 

monly  given  until  the  trial  comes.  Listen  not  to  the 
tempter,  when  he  endeavours  to  shake  your  faith,  and  destroy 
your  comfort.  Resist  him,  and  he  will  flee  from  you.  If 
you  feel  that  you  can  trust  your  soul  willingly  and  wholly  to 
the  hands  of  Christ,  relying  entirely  on  his  merits  ;  if  you 
feci  that  you  hate  sin,  and  earnestly  long  to  be  delivered 
from  its  defilement ;  if  you  are  willing  to  submit  to  the  will 
of  God,  however  much  he  may  afflict  you  ;  then  be  not  dis- 
couraged. These  are  not  the  marks  of  an  enemy,  but  of  a 
friend.  My  sincere  prayer  is,  that  your  sun  may  set  in  se- 
renity ;  that  your  latter  end  may  be  like  that  of  the  right- 
eous ;  and  that  your  remaining  days,  by  the  blessing  of 
God's  providence  and  grace,  may  be  rendered  tolerable  and 
even  comfortable. 

"  It  is  not  probable  that  we  shall  ever  meet  again  in  this 
world ;  and  yet,  as  you  have  already  seen  one  of  your 
children  go  before  you,  jou  may  possibly  live  to  witness  the 
departure  of  more  of  us.  I  feel  that  old  age  is  creeping 
upon  me.  Whoever  goes  first,  the  rest  must  soon  follow. 
May  we  all  be  re.idy  !  And  may  we  all  meet  around  the 
throne  of  God,  where  there  is  no  separation  for  ever  and 
ever  I     Amen  ! 

"  I  remain,  your  afiectionate  son, 

"A.  A." 


CHAPTER  SIXTEENTH. 

1830—1839. 

DIVISION  OF  THE  PRESBYTEEIAN  CHURCH PROSPERITY  OF    SEMINARY INVI- 
TATION   TO    VIRGINIA LITERARY    TOILS — WRITINGS    OF    THIS    PERIOD 

DOMESTIC  LIFE — CORRESPONDENCE — REVIVALS SLAVES  AND  SLAVERY 

PROSPECT  OF  DEATH. 

FROM  the  year  1830,  there  was  a  period  which  was  as 
anxious  as  any  equal  portion  of  time,  to  the  Church  and 
the  Seminary.  We  are  not  called  upon  to  recite  those  pain- 
ful controversies,  which  in  1838  resulted  in  the  secession  of 
a  large  body  of  ministers  and  Presbyteries  from  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  That  history  has  been  amply  recorded,  by 
persons  friendly  to  both  sides  of  the  great  question.  But  it 
would  be  impossible  to  write  the  life  of  Dr.  Alexander  with 
truth  and  candour,  without  representing  his  views,  and  stat- 
ing his  position,  in  regard  to  matters  which  connected  them- 
selves with  all  that  he  held  most  dear.  As  has  been  already 
sufjo-ested,  the  aojitations  of  the  Church  communicated  their 
impulses  to  the  Seminary,  and  during  the  years  of  which  we 
are  writing,  naturally  occupied  to  a  great  extent  the  minds 
of  both  professors  and  students.      But  one  reason  which  con- 


406  CHURCH   DIFFICULTIES. 

clusively  precludes  the  subject  from  these  pages,  as  to  any 
discussion  of  its  merits,  is  that  Dr.  Alexander  never  chose 
to  make  himself  prominent,  even  as  a  champion  for  the  opin- 
ions which  he  firmly  maintained.  To  this  course  he  was  led, 
partly  by  a  temper  eminently  moderate  and  pacific,  which 
Bome  denominated  timidity  ;  partly  by  views  which  he  enter- 
tained concerning  the  functions  of  a  theological  professor, 
as  to  a  certain  degree  withholding  him  from  the  field  of 
strife  ;  but  more  than  all,  by  his  inability  to  coincide  with 
many  respected  brethren,  as  to  the  particular  means  by 
w^hich  acknowledged  evils  were  to  be  remedied.  His  position 
in  regard  to  these  controversies  may  be  thus  simply  stated. 
In  doctrine  he  was  a  Calvinist  of  the  Westminster  type, 
and  was  recognised  as  such,  by  friends  and  opponents.  No 
single  man  can  be  found,  even  during  this  period  of  excite- 
ment, who  employed  his  pen  more  laboriously  or  frequently, 
in  defence  of  the  doctrines  which  distins^uish  what  had  besun 
to  be  called  Old  School  Theology.  This  is  sufficiently  evinced 
by  his  articles  on  Original  Sin,  on  Natural  and  Moral  Ability, 
on  the  Atonement,  and  on  Imputation.  And  the  doctrines 
which  he  believed,  he  also  diligently,  fully,  and  successfully 
inculcated  upon  his  students,  who  were  already  becoming 
numerous  in  the  ministry.  In  regard  therefore  to  theological 
tenets,  and  his  view  of  their  importance,  he  did  not  yield  to 
the  most  impetuous  of  his  brethren. 

A  second  remark  is  equally  just ;  he  believed  that  a  con- 
siderable number  of  ministers  in  our  Church  had  departed 
from  these  doctrines,  and  in  so  doing  had  deviated  from  the 
standards  of  the  church.     Here  arose  a  question,  as  to  the 


SOURCES    OF    STRIFE.  407 

more  or  less  of  this  deviation ;  how  great  it  must  bo,  to 
render  one  unfit  for  the  ministry  ;  and  how  much  must  be 
left  to  the  individual  conscience  of  him  who  subscribed  arti- 
cles of  faith.  On  this  point,  as  we  shall  presently  show^  his 
comprehension  of  slight  diiferences  was  wider  than  that  of 
some.  It  must  be  added,  that  he  lamented  the  disunion, 
embarrassment,  and  annual  contentions,  which  were  making 
our  Church  a  proverb.  He  saw  clearly  that  elements  thus 
irreconcilable,  ought  to  be  apart,  and  expected  that  division 
must  some  day  ensue  ;  while,  as  his  published  opinions  indi- 
cate, he  was  unwilling  that  orthodox  men  should  take  the 
initiative  in  such  division.  Of  the  complicated  acts  and 
measures,  by  which  the  friends  of  truth  sought  to  rid  them- 
selves of  the  evils,  there  were  some  which  he  could  not  ap- 
prove ;  and  hence  he  lost  the  favour  of  many  from  whom  he 
was  little  inclined  to  be  separated.  When  at  length,  the 
division  was  effected,  not  by  process  for  error  in  doctrine,  but 
by  the  spontaneous  secession  of  large  numbers,  including  all 
the  adherents  of  new  doctrine,  he  cordially  and  determinately 
stood  by  the  constitutional  body,  and  never  ceased  to  rejoice 
in  the  quiet  and  purity  of  the  Church  which  was  the  result. 
The  turbulent  spirits  of  the  time  were  causing  dissension 
in  respect  not  only  to  theological  opinion,  but  the  means  of 
promoting  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners  ;  hence 
as  much  was  said  of  New  Measures,  as  of  New  Divinity.  To 
justify  what  has  just  been  summarily  stated  as  to  Dr.  Alex- 
ander's position,  we  shall  make  a  few  citations  from  what  is 
extant  in  his  own  words.  In  the  year  1832,  he  contributed 
to  the  Biblical  Repertory  an  article  on  ''  The  present  con- 


408  OLD    AND    NEW    SCHOOL. 

dition  and  prospects  of  the  Presbyterian  Church."  It  was 
the  first  essay  in  that  work  which  explicitly  recognised  the 
party-troubles  in  our  communion.  It  sustains  what  we  have 
affirmed  respecting  his  estimate  of  the  theological  errors  then 
rife.  "  That  there  exists  a  difference  of  opinion  in  the 
Church,"  says  he,  "  in  reference  to  certain  dortrinal  points, 
and  as  to  the  precise  import  of  the  act  of  adopting  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  by  candidates  at  their  licensure  and  ordi- 
nation, cannot  be  denied  or  concealed.  It  is  also  apparent, 
that  the  numbers  who  choose  to  range  themselves  under  one 
or  the  other  of  these  parties,  are  pretty  nearly  balanced. 
Hitherto,  in  all  questions  which  put  the  strength  of  the 
Old  and  New  Schools,  as  they  have  been  called,  to  the  test, 
the  majority  has  been  found  on  the  side  of  the  former,  until 
the  meeting  of  the  last  General  Assembly,  when  a  decided 
majority  appeared  on  the  other  side.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that 
the  points  on  which  a  division  took  place  between  them,  on 
that  occasion,  were  not  doctrinal  points,  but  certain  ecclesi- 
astical transactions,  relative  to  missionary  operations  and  the 
training  of  candidates  for  the  ministry  ;  yet  it  is  understood 
that  generally  the  respective  parties  were  agreed  in  their 
views  of  theology.  This  difference  may  be  considered  there- 
fore, as  having  its  foundation  in  a  diversity  of  theological 
opinion."  How  grave  this  diversity  was,  may  be  gathered 
from  anothier  article,  of  which  indeed  he  was  not  the  author, 
but  to  which  he  is  known  to  have  given  his  assent.  "  We 
wished  it  to  be  understood,  that  we  were  the  determined 
opponents  of  all  those  in  our  communion  who  manifested  a 
leaning  towards  Arminian  or  Pelagian  opinions  in  theology, 


VIEW    OF    THE    DIFFERENCES.  409 

or  who  discovered  a  disposition  to  invade  the  principles  of 
Presbyterian  church  government,  or  to  exchange  them  for 
those  of  the  Congregational  system.  Against  these,  and 
against  all  who  manifested  a  desire  to  favour  them,  we  have 
lifted  our  voice  from  time  to  time — feebly,  we  acknowledge, 
but,  according  to  our  ideas  of  propriety,  as  distinctly  and 
decisively  as  we  were  able."  He  believed  that  there  were 
such  errors  maintained  by  ministers  and  authors  as  should 
disqualify  them  for  exercising  office  in  our  church  ;  but  he 
also  believed  that  there  were  some  difierences  which  did  not 
amount  to  heresy,  and  which  ought  not  to  be  made  matter 
of  discipline.  And  while  he  always  defended  the  strict  in- 
terpretation of  subscription  to  articles,  he  was  certainly  more 
lenient  in  his  judgments  than  some  who  acted  with  him.  On 
this  point,  his  views  are  best  expressed  by  what  he  uttered 
in  a  conference  of  clergymen,  in  1835.  "  Dr.  Alexander  ex- 
pressed his  belief  that  our  church  could  not  long  be  governed 
by  a  General  Assembly,  as  constituted  at  present ;  but  that 
the  evil  ought  not  to  be  precipitated.  He  declared  his  belief 
that  the  most  important  difference  between  the  friends  of 
the  truth  was  as  to  the  degree  of  theological  difference  which 
might  be  tolerated."*  In  the  same  spirit  he  wrote  to  Dr. 
Weed  ;  "  We  go  on  here  upon  our  old  moderate  plan,  teach- 
ing the  old  doctrines  of  Calvinism,  but  not  disposed  to  con- 
sider every  man  a  heretic  who  differs  in  some  few  points 
from  us."f 

For  a  long  time  he  had  augured  evil  from  the  diftasion 

*  xVlS.  Notes  of  a  Conference,  held  April  15,  1835. 

f  Letter  to  the  Rev  Ileury  R.  Weed,  March  8,   1834. 


410  FOREBODINGS. 

of  new  opinions.  As  early  as  1831,  he  writes  to  a  friend 
"  My  liiind  is  full  of  gloomy  apprehensions  respecting  the 
afiairs  of  our  church,  since  the  meeting  of  the  last  General 
Assembly.  I  cannot  foresee  whither  we  shall  be  driven.  I 
had  never  suspected  that  the  new  men  and  new  measures 
would  so  soon  prevail  in  the  supreme  judicatory  of  our 
church.  But  I  need  not  dwell  on  this  subject,  as  I  have 
nothing  remedial  to  communicate.  If  the  Lord  intends  good 
for  the  church,  our  exertions  will  prosper.  But  if  we  are  to 
be  handed  over  to  the  men  of  the  new  religion,  bound  hand 
and  foot,  then  we  must  yield,  and  mourn  in  secret  places 
over  the  departed  glory.  We  old  men  shall  soon  leave  the 
stage.  The  burden  and  heat  of  the  day  will  soon  come  upon 
you  young  men,  who  will  have  great  need  to  be  strong,  to 
preserve  the  ark  of  the  Lord  from  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  Philistines.  Quit  yourselves  like  men.  Stand  up  bravely 
for  the  religion  of  your  fathers,  which  is  also  ours,  by  delib- 
erate choice,  as  well  as  inheritance."* 

Deeply  as  he  felt  the  evil  of  increasing  error,  he  had 
from  the  beginning  a  dread  of  originating  any  measure  of 
division.  That  this  was  his  sentiment,  at  least  in  1834,  is 
manifest  from  his  language  in  an  article  to  which  reference 
has  already  been  made.  ^'If  it  is  now  found,"  says  he, 
"  that  our  differences  are  so  wide,  that  we  cannot  live  in 
peace,  let  us  peaceably  agree  to  separate  into  two  distinct 
denominations.  This  should,  however,  be  the  last  resort. 
The  Church  of  Christ  is  one,  and  all  who  agree  in  essential 
matters  should  hold  communion  together,  notwithstanding 

*  Letter  to  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Plumer,  July  6,   1831. 


EVILS   OF    DIVISION.  411 

minor  differences.  And  if  division  on  account  of  some 
diversity  in  sentiment  commences,  there  is  no  telling  where 
it  will  <ind  ;  for  we  presume  there  are  no  two  men  who  in 
all  their  opinions  on  every  subject  entirely  agree.  And  as 
not  only  our  presbyteries,  but  our  congregations  are  in  a 
nmltitude  of  cases  composed  of  persons  who  agree  partly 
with  one  and  partly  with  the  other  side,  a  division  of  the 
Church  by  a  line  of  difference  on  theological  points,  would 
split  many  churches  into  two  parts,  neither  of  which  would 
be  able,  without  the  other,  to  support  the  Grospel  among 
them.  Endless  controversies  also  respecting  the  church  pro- 
perty would  necessarily  arise,  and  society  would  be  agitated 
and  convulsed  to  its  very  foundations.  And  as  brethren, 
differing  as  we  now  do,  have  hitherto  continued  to  live  in 
peace,  and  in  most  places  in  great  harmony,  have  loved  each 
other  as  brethren,  and  have  cordially  co-operated  in  promot- 
ing the  Kedeemer's  kingdom,  why  may  not  this  still  be  the 
case,  after  the  present  exacerbation  of  feeling  has  subsided  ? 
Upon  mature  deUberation,  therefore,  we  declare  our  senti- 
ments to  be  opposed  to  all  schemes  wliich  tend  to  the  divi- 
sion of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  We  do  not  know,  indeed, 
that  there  are  any  persons  who  seriously  wish  or  meditate 
any  such  thing ;  but  sometimes  hints  and  rumours  come  to 
our  ears,  which  seem  to  have  this  bearing." ''■■  Such  were 
his  avowed  opinions  at  this  time  ;  but  these  were  during  the 
first  acts  of  the  drama.  He  very  soon  came  to  perceive  the 
causes  of  separation  were  almost  unavoidable.  Thus  he  writes 
to  a  former  pupil,  in  1837  :  "  I  tremble  for  the  ark.     I  see 

*  Bibl.  Repertory,  1834,  p.  39 


412  PROSPECT   OF    DIVISION. 

dark  lowering  clouds  collecting.  The  new  Revival  Meas- 
ures, connected  with  the  New  Theology,  are  gaining  strength 
and  popularity  every  day.  The  stream  is  deepening  and 
widening,  and  will  shortly  pour  forth  such  a  torrent  as  will 
reach  over  the  whole  surface  of  this  land.  Our  Church 
cannot  proceed  much  further  under  her  present  organization. 
The  General  Assembly  ought  not  to  be  long  continued  in 
its  present  form.  But  what  can  be  done  ?  Divide  ?  How  ? 
If  shades  of  opinion  must  mark  out  our  parties,  we  may 
have  a  dozen  as  well  as  two.  I  say.  No  division.  Let  us 
hold  together  as  long  as  the  foundation  can  be  felt  under 
our  feet.  When  that  sinks,  then  '  what  shall  the  righteous 
do  .^  ' "  He  then  proceeds  to  indicate  a  new  organization  of 
the  body,  retaining  the  General  Assembly  as  a  bond  of 
union  and  council  of  brethren.*  Again,  about  the  same  time, 
to  a  valued  pupil  of  his  earliest  class  :  "  I  hope  that  your 
Presbytery  has  honoured  you  with  a  seat  in  the  next  General 
Assembly.  Men  of  nerve  should  have  hold  of  the  vessel  in 
the  time  of  a  tempest,  for  doubtless  the  New  School  brethren 
will  rage  and  clamour  loudly.  But  ^ve  mean  them  no  m 
jury.  It  is  necessary  for  our  very  existence,  that  we  should 
be  separate."f  As  early  as  1833,  he  had  expressed  similar 
fears  to  the  same  friend  :  "  Pittsburg  Synod,"  so  he  writes, 
"  is  the  purest  and  soundest  limb  of  the  Presbyterian  body. 
When  we  fall  to  pieces  in  this  quarter,  and  in  the  far  West, 
that  synod  will  be  like  a  marble  column  which  remains  un- 
disturbed in  the  ruins  of  a  mighty  temple.     I  do  not  know 

»  Letter  to  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Plumer,  Sept.  13,  1837. 
\  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Henry  R.  Weed,  April  14,  1888. 


THE   DIVISION.  413 

but  that  more  of  us  will  be  obliged  to  seek  an  ultimate 
refuge  in  that  region  from  the  overflowing  of  new  divinity 
and  new  measures.  As  you  suggest,  through  the  ultraism 
of  the  Old  and  the  New  School,  the  sound  and  moderate  part 
of  the  Church  is  placed  in  jeopardy."''' 

From  these  scattered  expressions  of  opinion,  it  is  suffi- 
ciently manifest,  that  with  all  his  desire  for  peace^  he  had 
slowly  and  reluctantly  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that  the 
two  parties  could  not  much  longer  remain  in  union.  Yet 
he  took  no  leading  part  in  the  immediate  causes  of  the 
division,  which  eventually  took  place  in  1838,  It  is  well 
known  that  he  never  gave  his  assent  to  the  Act  and  Testi- 
mony. As  a  member  of  the  Assembly  of  1837,  he  advo- 
cated the  abrogation  of  the  Plan  of  Union  ;  he  voted  for  the 
act  disowning  the  Western  Keserve  Synod  ;  but  did  not 
vote  for  the  act  dissolving  the  connection  of  the  Synods  of 
Utica,  Geneva  and  Genesee.  He  was,  moreover,  with  Doc- 
tors Baxter  and  Leland,  in  preparing  the  pastoral  letter 
addressed  to  the  churches  by  the  General  Assembly.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  all  his  sympathies  were  with  the  ma- 
jority ;  that  he  approved  of  the  end  which  they  had  in  view ; 
and  that  he  was  prepared  to  sanction  and  defend  to  a  certain 
extent  the  means  which  they  adopted  to  accomplish  that 
end.  After  the  separating  acts  were  passed,  and  when  the 
churches,  presbyteries  and  synods  which  they  aflected,  refused 
to  submit  to  them,  or  even  to  regard  the  abrogation  of  the 
Plan  of  Union  as  a  valid  act ;  but  on  the  contrary  resolved 
to  proceed  as  if  the  said  plan  was  still  in  force,  and  to  claim 

*  To  the  same,  Feb.  21.  1838. 


414  STATE    OF    THE    SEMINARY. 

for  all  judicatories  formed  under  it  a  right  to  sit  in  the 
General  Assembly ;  he  certainly  never  manifested  the 
shghtest  hesitation  as  to  which  party  was  right.  After  the 
accomplishment  of  the  division,  and  especially  after  the 
ground  assumed  by  the  minority  in  the  Assembly  of  1838, 
when  they  withdrew  and  claimed  to  constitute  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  there  was  no  man  who  entertained  more 
strongly  than  he  disapprobation  of  the  whole  course  pursued 
by  that  minority,  or  who  took  a  livelier  interest  in  the  success 
of  the  Old  School  Assembly  in  all  its  conflicts.  It  is  believed 
that  the  articles  on  the  division  of  the  Church  which  appeared 
during  this  period,  though  not  from  his  pen,  may  be  taken  as 
expressing  his  views  on  the  general  subject. 

There  is  no  friendly  and  competent  reader  of  this  me- 
moir, who  will  not  admit  that  the  writer  has  had  a  difficult 
and  delicate  task,  in  making  the  brief  record  above  given. 
He  durst  not  suppress  it,  from  any  fear  or  favour ;  and  he 
has  in  no  case  consciously  coloured  it  with  any  opinions  of 
his  own,  but  has  simply  endeavoured  to  record  in  truth  the 
judgments  of  an  honoured  parent. 

To  not  a  few  it  was  matter  of  surprise  that  the  dissen- 
sions in  the  Church  produced  so  little  injury  to  the  Theologi- 
cal Seminary.  The  truth  is,  it  never  was  in  a  more  healthful 
condition.  Immediately  after  the  disruption  of  the  body,  it 
is  true,  there  was  a  sudden  falling  off  in  numbers,  so  that  m 
1839  the  whole  amount  was  only  ninety-eight.  But  this  loss 
was  almost  immediately  repaired,  and  the  average  of  matri- 
culations for  the  dccennium,  1830-1839,  was  fifty-three  an- 
nually ;  rising  in  1831  to  seventy-eight.     The  whole  uumbei 


INVITATION  TO   VIRGINIA.  415 

of  8tadents  was,  in  1836,  one  hundred  and  tliirty-six ;  in 
1837,  one  hundred  and  forty-two  ;  and  in  1838,  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five.  The  disputes  of  the  time  gave  renewed 
animation  to  all  concerned  ;  and  in  particular  the  widely 
extended  interest  in  questions  arising  out  of  revivals,  infused 
a  zeal  into  the  young  men,  which  sometimes  demanded  the 
cautious  hand  of  repression  and  guidance.  The  three  in- 
structors were  perfectly  united  in  their  views  concerning  all 
the  points  in  controversy.  It  will  probably  be-  acknowledged 
by  all  who  were  in  the  Seminary,  during  these  years,  that 
the  course  of  learning  was  pursued  with  uncommon  ardour 
and  satisfaction. 

We  have  already  noticed  the  strong  desires  which  had 
been  felt  in  regard  to  the  return  of  Dr.  Alexander  to  his 
native  State.  These  attempts  were  more  earnestly  renewed 
in  the  year  1831.  The  nature  of  the  proposal  will  best  ap- 
pear from  an  authentic  representation  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  Synod  of  Virginia.  This  was  unquestionably  the  most 
serious  inducement  which  was  ever  presented  to  draw  him 
away  from  Princeton.  The  invitation  of  the  Synod  was 
reinforced  by  numerous  private  letters.  In  one  of  these,  a 
brother  clergyman  still  living  thus  puts  the  case  :  "In  refe- 
rence to  the  great  question  submitted  to  your  consideration, 
I  have  thought  much ;  and  though  I  may  not  be  able  to 
present  the  subject  in  one  single  point  of  light  in  which  you 
have  not  viewed  it,  yet  the  more  I  reflect  on  it,  the  more  it 
Beems  to  me  that  you  may  possibly  think  it  your  duty  to  ac- 
cept the  invitation,  which  I  know  will  be  given  with  great 


416  UNION    SEMINARY. 

unanimity  and  warm  affection,  if  there  be  any  hope  of  its 
meeting  a  favourable  reception. 

"  Two  reasons  influenced  the  members  of  the  Synod,  in 
making  the  effort  to  ascertain  beforehand  what  would  proba- 
bly be  the  result  of  the  appointment,  should  it  be  made. 
One  was  that  they  did  not  wish  to  agitate  the  Church,  and 
raise  hopes  which  might  issue  in  disappointment.  The 
other  was  that  the  interests  of  the  [Union]  Seminary  re- 
quired, nay  imperatively  demanded,  that  as  httle  delay  as 
possible  should  attend  the  filling  of  the  vacancy.  At  the 
called  meeting  the  nomination  could  not  be  made,  because  it 
was  not  contemplated  in  the  call  ;  but  it  will  be  made  at 
the  regular  meeting.  But  while  there  are  such  pressing  rea- 
sons for  coming  to  a  decision  as  soon  as  practicable,  there 
seem  to  me,  as  before  intimated,  strong  inducements  to  a 
favourable  determination. 

"  The  Seminary,  raised  at  great  expense,  with  much  toil 
and  solicitude,  and  with  the  sacrifice  of  one  of  the  best 
Uves  among  us,  is  now  on  an  elevated  poise  ;  and  I  know 
not  who  is  so  likely  to  sustain  it  as  yourself — [Dr.  Kice] 
in  the  last  hour  of  his  mortal  struggle  expressed  a  strong 
desire  that  the  institution  might  continue  to  be  conducted 
on  the  same  principles  as  by  himself.  In  you,  the  Synods 
would  cordially  and  with  great  confidence  unite.  The  insti- 
tution would  not  be  under  the  control  of  the  jarring  ele- 
ments of  the  General  Assembly."  It  is  scarcely  needful  to 
add,  that  none  of  the  considerations  thus  proposed  had  suf- 
ficient force  to  withdraw  Dr.  Alexander  from  the  post  to 


AUTHORSHIP.  417 

whicli  he  had  been  assigned  by  the  Church.  But  this  ad- 
verse decision  cost  him  a  serious  struggle  of  feeling. 

This  was  beyond  all  doubt  the  period  of  his  greatest 
literary  activity.  Both  in  pressing  his  researches  into  the 
works  of  others,  and  in  committing  his  own  thoughts  to 
writing,  he  was  indefatigable,  so  that  he  scarcely  knew  an 
idle  hour.  He  was  constantly  adding  to  his  written  lectures, 
fiUing  up  gaps  in  the  series,  and  by  compilation  and  original 
research  preparing  himself  for  treatises  and  volumes  which 
he  afterwards  made  public.  His  voluminous  manuscripts 
largely  belong  to  this  period.  Having  discovered  a  faculty 
of  composition,  of  which  he  had  long  supposed  himself  des- 
titute, he  began  to  make  amends  for  past  inaction.  At  no 
time  did  he  contribute  so  much  to  the  Biblical  Eepertory, 
and  his  choice  was  generally  directed  to  the  most  important 
subjects  ;  which,  however,  he  saw  fit  to  treat  rather  in  their 
principles  and  history,  and  upon  their  intrinsic  merits,  than 
with  express  allusion  to  the  controversies  then  agitating  the 
American  Churches.  Some  of  these  essays  deserve  a  passing 
notice  in  any  tribute  to  his  memory. 

In  1830  he  communicated  to  the  above  named  quarterly 
work  an  essay  on  the  "  Early  Histoiy  of  Pelagianism."  In 
preparation  for  this  and  some  kindred  articles  he  read  largely 
in  the  works  of  Augustine,  as  well  as  the  MassiUensian  Semi- 
pelagians  and  their  opponents.  He  also  made  himself  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  works  of  Jansenius,  an  author 
in  whom  he  took  a  lively  interest.  He  communicated  to  those 
iround  him  a  lively  interest  in  Augustine  and  his   times, 


418  tiikol(h;ical  essays. 

and  would  soiiK^times  go  largely  into  the  story  of  those  aDgr\ 
controversies,  as  he  sat  among  his  family,  with  great  animar- 
tion  and  eftect.  We  were  informed  by  the  Kev.  Dr.  Syming- 
ton of  Glasgow,  that  this  essay,  and  several  analogous  ones 
yet  to  be  mentioned,  are  not  only  commended  to  students 
of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  but  are  even  made 
subjects  of  examination  by  the  professor. '•'■  The  writer's  own 
conclusions  are  indicated  by  the  last  sentence  of  this  essay  : 
"  It  is  our  opinion,  therefore,  after  looking  on  all  sides,  and 
contemplating  the  bearing  and  consequences  of  all  theories 
on  this  subject,  that  no  one  is  on  the  whole  so  consistent 
with  facts,  with  the  Scriptures,  and  with  itself,  as  the  old 
doctrine  of  the  ancient  church,  which  traces  all  the  sins  and 
evils  in  the  world  to  the  imputation  of  the  first  sin  of  Adam  ; 
and  that  no  other  theory  of  original  sin  is  capable  of  sustain- 
ing the  test  of  an  im^^artial  scrutiny."  The  same  volume 
contained  a  contribution  on  ^'  the  Doctrine  of  Original  Sin 
as  held  by  the  Church,  both  before  and  after  the  Reforma- 
tion." f  In  the  course  of  the  next  year  he  published  "  An 
Inquiry  into  that  Inability  under  which  the  Sinner  labours, 
and  whether  it  furnishes  any  Excuse  for  his  Neglect  of 
Duty  ]"  a  dissertation  which  vindicated  the  Calvinistic 
views,  and  was  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  produc- 
tions of  his  pcn.J  We  have  already  spoken  of  his  article  on 
a  proposed  re-organization  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  This 
was  followed,  in  1832,  by  a  treatise  on  the  Synod  of  Dort,  in 
which  the  history  of  doctrine  in  that  day  is  treatcd.§     A  fai 

*  Biblical  Repertory,  1830,  pp.  V7-113. 
f  Biblical  Repertory,  1830,  pp.  481-503. 
X  Biblical  Rej)ertory,  1881,  pp.  360-383. 
§  Biblical  Repertory,  lSo2,  pp.  239-252. 


BIBLICAL    REPERTORY.  419 

more  able  article  was  the  review  of  the  ^'  Essays  on  the  For- 
mation of  Opinion  and  the  Pursuit  of  Truth;"  works  in 
which  there  was  an  insidious  attack  upon  some  fuadamentals 
of  ethical  science.  The  questions  which  are  here  discussed  at 
great  length  and  with  the  utmost  vigour  of  his  mind,  are  two  : 
first,  the  responsibility  of  man  for  his  opinions,  and,  sec- 
ondly, whether  any  testimony  is  sufficient  to  establish  a  fact 
which  is  a  departure  from  the  laws  of  nature.---"  The  next 
year  produced  an  essay  on  the  Racovian  Catechism,  in  which 
he  details  the  history  and  tenets  of  the  early  Socinians  ;  and 
a  translation  of  Melancthon's  treatise  on  Sin.f  Besides  an 
article  on  Transubstantiation,  he  wrote  an  extensive  histori- 
cal sketch  of  the  Scotch  Secession  ;  and  reviews  of  Way- 
land's  Moral  Science,  and  Woods  on  Depravity.  We  omit 
a  number  of  minor  reviews,  which  appeared  during  the  same 
period. 

But  his  labours  with  the  pen  were  by  no  means. confined 
to  sermons,  lectures,  and  periodical  essays.  In  the  year 
1831,  he  prepared  a  new  edition  of  his  work  on  the  Evi- 
dences of  Christianity,  with  additional  matter  which  tended 
much  ie.  its  completeness,  llis  book  on  the  Canon  of  Scrip- 
ture was  sent  to  him  in  a  London  reprint,  in  1832.  In 
1833,  he  published  a  "  History  of  the  Patriarchs."  He  also 
contributed  to  a  religious  journal,  in  1839,  those  essays  on 
•Religious  Experience,  which  have  since  appeared  in  a  vol- 
ume.    It  is  8ufti"ieni:ly  shown,  therefore,  that  neither  pro- 

*  Biblical  Repertoij,  1832,  pp.  394-428. 

I   Bibli<-a]   Uei.cr'ory.  18.'?S.'pp.  180-204,  and  pp.  f 21-531. 


420  PROSPECT  OF  DECLINE, 

fessional  toils  nor  the  agitations  of  church  controversy  had 
impaired  his  relish  or  capacity  for  the  severe  labours  of  the 
study. 

If  now  we  take  a  glance  at  matters  more  personal  and 
domestic,  we  must  remember  that  he  was  no  longer  in  his 
physical  prime,  as  during  this  ten  years'  period  he  passed  his 
grand  climacteric.  It  was  certainly  something  remarkable, 
for  a  man  turned  of  sixty  to  apply  himself  with  such  eiiter- 
prise  and  earnestness  to  new  and  different  pursuits ;  the 
rather,  when  as  we  afterwards  learn  this  was  only  the  begin- 
ning of  labours  which  were  to  endure  for  nearly  twenty  years. 
During  the  time  of  which  we  write  his  health  was  interrupt- 
ed, not  only  by  his  never  absent  nervous  disorders,  but  by 
acute  sciatica,  and  in  1833  by  a  slight  hasmoptysis.  Some- 
times he  looked  upon  the  probabilities  of  extended  life  as 
very  faint.     Thus  he  writes  to  his  eldest  sister,  in  1831  : 

"  Although  I  wrote  to  you  by  mail  not  long  8ince,  I  will 
not  permit  so  favourable  an  opportunity  as  that  which  now 
offers  to  pass  without  dropping  you  a  line.  The  time  of  our 
earthly  correspondence  is  drawing  to  a  close.  I  am  now  in 
my  sixtieth  year,  and  you  are  a  little  older.  This  is  an  age 
to  which  I  never  expected  to  come  ;  but  Providence  has 
preserved  me,  and  brought  me  along  ;  and  upon  a  review  of 
my  life  I  have  reason  to  be  thankful  for  the  manifold  bless- 
ings which  I  have  received.  But  I  have  nothing  to  say  re- 
specting my  own  fidelity  and  diligence,  except  what  is  of  the 
'most  humbling  kind.  I  must  cast  myself  entirely  on  the 
free  mercy  of  God  and  the  rich  merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  all  my  hope  and  all  my  salvation.     I  find,  as  I  suppose 


VIEWS    OF    DEATH.  421 

you  do,  that  the  arrival  of  old  age  does  not  bring  death  any 
aearer  to  the  feelings.  I  have  indeed  a  rational  conviction 
that  I  am  nearer  to  my  end,  but  as  to  realizing  apprehen- 
sions of  death,  I  am  not  conscious  that  this  acknowledged 
nearness  has  any  effect  on  my  views  of  the  importance  of 
that  awful  event.  In  regard  to  the  state  of  the  soul  imme- 
diately after  death,  I  find  my  mind  filled  with  darkness 
when  I  attempt  to  form  particular  conceptions  of  it.  My 
only  relief  is  in  relying  on  the  general  promises  of  the  Gospel, 
and  dismissing  all  solicitude  about  the  mode  of  existence  or 
the  special  nature  of  the  feelings  in  that  untried  state.  I 
have  always  wished  and  hoped  to  arrive  at  a  degree  of  faith 
in  the  things  of  the  invisible  world,  to  which  I  have  not  yet 
attained.  In  my  ideas  of  divine  things  there  is  too  much 
of  imagination — of  mere  notion— too  little  of  the  feeling  of 
reality.  When,  for  a  moment,  I  can  conceive  of  eternity,  as 
a  real,  approacliing  state,  I  am  startled — and  feel  astonished 
at  my  habitual  apathy.  Sometimes,  when  I  awake  suddenly 
in  the  night,  the  thought  of  eternity  and  of  the  judgment  is 
overwhelming.  But  these  impressions  soon  pass  away,  I  am 
occupied  with  visible  scenes  and  earthly  cares,  and  for  a  great 
part  of  the  time  futurity  is  out  of  view. 

"  I  am  much  concerned  about  the  state  of  our  Church. 
Every  thing  in  the  signs  of  the  times  is  ominous  ;  for  while 
revivals  are  multiplied,  errors  appear  to  be  coming  in  like  a 
flood,  divisions  threaten  to  rend  the  body,  and  thus  peace 
— one  of  the  richest  blessings  of  the  Gospel — will  be  lost. 
But  the  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice  !  I  do  not  look 
forward  to  any  time  when  I  shall  have  it  in  my  power  to 


422  LABOURS. 

visit  Virginia  again.  It  is,  however,  a  matter  of  little  con- 
sequence. Let  us  all  be  engaged  in  prei)aring  to  meet  in  a 
happier  world."  * 

This  was  the  very  time  at  which  efforts  were  making  in 
Virginia,  as  related  above,  to  bring  him  again  to  his  native 
State.  In  writing  to  his  son,  he  speaks  of  a  letter,  "  the 
object  of  which,''  says  he,  "  was  to  learn  whether  there  existed 
any  insuperable  objection  in  the  way  of  my  consenting  to 
take  Dr.  Kice's  place  in  the  Union  Seminary.  They  seem  to 
think  that  the  existence  of  the  institution  will  depend  upon 
the  success  of  this  project.  I  have  not  had  time  to  give  it 
much  consideration.  If  I  were  younger  and  more  capable 
of  answering  their  expectations,  I  would  think  seriously  of 
it ;  for  in  the  distractions  of  the  church  in  this  region  I  fear 
that  our  Seminary  will  become  a  bone  of  contention.  And 
as  Mr.  Hodge  is  well  prepared  to  take  my  place,  and  nothing 
would  be  requisite  but  to  put  some  young  man  in  his  place, 
I  do  not  see  that  this  institution  would  suffer  much  loss  by 
my  departure.''  f  These  negotiations  we  have  already  said 
resulted  in  nothing.  He  made  a  visit  to  Virginia  in  the 
Autumn  of  1835,  but  no  case  occurred  during  the  whole  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  in  which  he  seems  to  have  thought  of 
leaving  New  Jersey. 

To  give  a  recital  of  his  pulpit  labours,  would  be  to  re- 
peat what  has  been  said  in  the  previous  chapters.  Scarcely 
a  Lord's  Day  passed  in  which  he  was  not  preaching,  at  home 
Di  abroad,  and  he  was  frequently  called  to  such  exercises 

*  Letter  to  Mrs.  Graliani,  July  27,  1831. 
f  Letter  to  J.  W.  A.,  Sept.  15,  1831 


INFLUENCE   ON    THE    YOUNG.  423 

during  the  week.  These  labours  were  made  much  more 
abundant  by  the  great  prevalence  of  religious  awakenings  in 
the  land ;  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  while  he  was  reputed 
by  some  an  enemy  of  revivals,  or  at  least  one  ignorant  of 
their  nature,  there  was  no  preacher  whose  services  were 
sought  with  greater  avidity,  during  such  seasons  of  religious 
warmth.  The  controversy  ran  high  about  New  Measures,  or 
the  system  of  means  employed  in  revivals  On  this  sub- 
ject, as  we  need  scarcely  say,  his  judgment  was  with  that  of 
the  sober  party,  a  judgment  which  has  since  become  that  of 
the  Church  at  large. 

As  the  number  of  students  was  now  very  large,  he  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  exercise  that  influence  which  has 
already  been  mentioned,  by  means  of  private  counsel.  It  is 
in  connection  with  this  that  hundreds  remember  him,  with 
even  more  warmth  than  in  his  character  of  public  instructor. 
And  as  many  of  his  former  pupils  were  now  established  in 
their  posts  of  usefulness,  he  kept  up  a  paternal  regard  for 
them,  and  often  gave  them  letters  of  counsel.  An  eminent 
clergyman,  whose  name  would  add  force  to  the  statement,  if 
we  were  sure  of  his  permission  to  publish  it,  after  referring 
to  his  own  early  authorship,  speaks  thus  of  Dr.  Alexander- 
"  I  have  said  these  things  because  I  feel  indebted  to  him  for  the 
kindness  with  which  he  treated  me  and  my  maiden  production. 
I  am  under  many  other  obligations  to  him  ;  yes,  more  than 
I  can  express.  His  sweet  simplicity,  his  perfect  naturalness, 
his  saintly  purity  ;  how  deeply  have  they  inscribed  them- 
selves on  my  memory  \"  The  portraiture  would  be  incom- 
plete without  some  specimens  of  these.  "  If  you  cannot  live 
at  *  *  ""^  j"  so  he  writes  to  a  young  minister,  "  on  the  sala- 


424  CORRESPONDENCE. 

ly  which  they  give  you,  you  will  be  under  a  necessity  of  re- 
moving ;  and  you  ought  to  consider  whether  this  is  not  an 
opening  in  Providence  for  your  relief.  In  my  opinion,  no 
situation  is  so  desirable  for  a  preacher  as  a  pastoral  charge  ; 
and  no  man  called  to  the  ministry  ought  to  relinquish  it  for 
any  other  business,  unless  there  be  an  evident  prospect  of 
greater  usefulness  ;  or  some  physical  disqualification  for  the 
w^ork.  When  a  man  alleges  that  he  cannot  visit,  or  perform 
other  parochial  duties  for  which  he  has  bodily  strength,  it  is 
just  as  if  a  servant  should  pretend  that  he  cannot  do  the 
work  for  which  he  is  employed.  A  minister  of  Jesus  Christ 
must  divest  himself  of  fastidiousness,  and  exercise  self-denial 
in  the  performance  of  his  duties.  In  regard  however  to  what 
is  duty  (in  the  matter  of  pastoral  visits)  every  man  must 
judge  independently  for  himself,  and  not  be  governed  by  the 
whims  of  well-disposed  but  weak  women.  In  a  large  city, 
preparation  for  the  pulpit  is  the  main  thing,  and  except  in 
case  of  illness,  comparatively  little  good  is  accomplished  by 
running  from  house  to  house.  The  preacher  who  ably  fills 
the  pulpit  will,  on  the  whole,  get  along  very  well.  The 
course  in  such  a  place  as  Baltimore  would  be  for  the  minis- 
ter first  to  prepare  for  his  pulpit  exercises  on  the  Sabbath  ; 
next  he  should  be  attentive  to  Bible  Classes,  Sunday  Schools, 
and  catechizing  ;  and  should  visit  the  sick.  And  as  to  visit- 
ing, he  should  appropriate  certain  portions  of  time,  and  con- 
scientiously perform  what  appertains  to  that  time.  Hig 
calls  ought  to  be  very  short,  except  in  special  cases.  It  is 
poor  economy  for  a  man  to  exhaust  his  strength  in  talking 
to  one  at  a  time,  when  he  has  an  opportunity  of  saying  the 
same  thinir  to  hundreds  or  thousands." 


CORRESPONDENCE.  425 

The  next  letter  is  upon  a  subject  which  always  lay  near 
his  heart,  and  in  regard  to  which  he  had  some  special  facili- 
ties for  forming  a  judgment. 

DR.    ALEXANDER    TO    THE   REV.    WILLIAM    S.    PLUMER. 

"Princeton,  June  10,  1830. 

"Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  : — 

"  Your  letter  came  to  hand  just  as  our  examination  had 
commenced,  which  prevented  an  immediate  answer,  and 
ever  since  I  have  been  in  Philadelphia,  or  away  from  home 
in  some  other  place.  The  subject  on  which  you  ask  advice 
is  both  delicate  and  difficult  ;  and  for  one  so  far  off,  it  is 
impossible  to  judge  correctly  on  the  course  most  proper  to  be 
pursued  by  a  person  situated  as  you  are.  It  seems  to  me, 
however,  that  when  Providence  has  cast  the  lot  of  one  of  his 
servants  in  the  country  of  slavery,  he  ought  not  to  abandon 
it  on  account  of  prospective  evils,  the  existence  of  which  is 
only  conjectural ;  or,  if  certain,  which  would  not  be  greater 
than  evils  of  another  kind,  which  must  be  encountered,  let  a 
man  go  where  he  will.  It  is  now  becoming  more  and  more 
a  subject  of  consideration  with  our  zealous  young  men  here 
whether  duty  does  not  call  some  of  them  to  make  every 
sacrifice  of  personal  comfort,  and  to  devote  themselves  to 
the  instruction  of  the  slaves.  Surely  they  ought  not  to  be 
abandoned  to  ignorance  and  vice,  without  an  effort  to  rescue 
them  from  ruin  ;  but  if  ministers  will  flee  from  their  work 
in  the  southern  States,  simply  because  of  tl^  existence  of 
slavery,  how  can  it  be  hoped  that  others,  knowing  such  facts, 
will  venture  into  such  regions  ?     My  opinion,  therefore,  is, 


426  INSTRUCTION    OF    SLAVES. 

that  as  you  have  formed  a  permanent  counection  in  that 
country,  and  have  become  a  slaveholder,  you  ought  to  re- 
main, and  endeavour  by  all  lawful  means  to  extend  the 
blessing  of  salvation  to  that  degraded  people.  And  if  you 
wish  for  my  opinion  as  to  how  you  may  best  promote  the 
welfare  of  those  whom  Providence  has  committed  to  your 
care,  and  for  whom  you  must  give  account,  I  would  say, 
that  you  can  best  promote  their  happiness  by  keeping  them 
in  your  possession,  and  instructing  them  in  the  Christian 
religion.  No  one  can  prevent  your  instructing  them  in  the 
great  truths  of  religion  ;  and  even  if  the  laws  should  become 
so  rigid  as  to  forbid  their  being  taught  to  read,  this  will 
render  the  use  of  oral  instruction  far  more  important.  And 
all  experience  teaches  me,  that  the  living  voice  is  the  proper 
medium  of  instructing  the  ignorant.  Those  persons  who 
leat-n  to  read  imperfectly  derive  very  little  benefit  from  the 
art ;  a  few  sentences,  pronounced  viva  voce,  sink  more 
deeply  into  their  hearts  than  many  pages  spelled  over  "^ith 
great  difficulty. 

"  As  to  bringing  the  unhappy  creatures  to  the  northern 
States,  it  has  been  demonstrated  by  experience  that  it  is,  in 
general,  ruinous. — My  advice  then  is,  that  you  remain  at 
B.,  if  the  people  wish  it,  and  lay  yourself  out  to  do  all  the 
good  you  can  to  black  and  white  ;  and  if  you  cannot  operate 
in  one  way,  you  will  be  able  to  do  good  in  another.  Re- 
member, however,  that  Hhe  husbandman  hath  long  pa- 
tience,' after  jie  has  sowed  the  seed.  Do  not  expect  to 
efiect  much  by  storm,  but  understand  that  moral  improve- 
ment is  always  gradual,  and  very  commonly  imperceptible 


INSTRUCTION    OF    SLAVES.  427 

from  day  to  day.  Labour  assiduously,  and  trust  in  God  for 
the  fruitj  although  every  body  around  should  be  lamenting 
that  nothing  is  done.  It  is  too  much  the  error  of  the  day, 
and  especially  of  the  South,  to  aim  at  unnecessary  excite- 
ment ;  to  push  things  to  an  extreme  from  which  they  must 
speedily  return  ;  and  then,  like  an  elastic  cord,  will  spring 
nearly  as  far  beyond  the  mark  on  the  opposite  side.  Ob- 
serve, I  do  not  say  it  is  unlawful  to  leave  the  South,  in  any 
circumstances.  I  only  mean  to  say  that  the  reasons  which 
you  mention  are  not  the  ones  which  should  induce  you  to 
take  that  step.  If  Providence  needs  you  more  elsewhere 
the  door  will  be  set  wide  open,  and  your  call  clear.  As  to 
place,  when  duty  calls  you  will  find  the  right  one.  Beware 
of  discouragement.  It  cuts  the  nerves  of  effort — of  steady 
persevering  effort — completely.  The  news  from  the  General 
Assembly  you  will  receive  from  others  ;  and  I  have  nothing 
interesting  to  communicate  from  this  place.  It  is  now  vaca- 
tion, and  we  are  for  a  while  in  solitude. 

"  Yours  affectionately, 

"A.  A." 

DR.    ALEXANDER    TO    THE    SAME. 

"Princeton,  July  1,  1834. 

^[  Dear  Sir  :— 

"  I  have  received  your  two  letters,  which  came  to  hand 
the  same  day,  one  dated  May  27,  the  other  June  10.  In 
regard  to  historical  facts  I  will  keep  the  subject  in  mind, 
and  set  down  such  fragments  of  knowledge  as  I  have.  Dates 
will  be  defective  ;  but  facts  may  be  of  use  without  precise 
dates. 


428  INSTRUCTION    OF    SLAVES. 

"As  to  the  instruction  of  the  coloured  people,  as  the 
blacks  are  called  in  this  country,  I  know  nothing  of  impor- 
tance. The  Rev.  John  Mines,  some  years  since,  prepared  a 
catechism  for  their  instruction,  which  I  revised  in  manu- 
script. It  was  printed,  but  never  came  into  use.  It  was 
intended  to  be  used  by  the  catechist  in  the  instruction  of 
such  as  were  unable  to  read.  Dr.  Palmer,  of  Charleston, 
published  one  somewhat  similar,  accompanied  with  prayers, 
a  copy  of  which  I  have.  Some  years  ago,  I  delivered  a  has- 
tily written  discourse  to  the  Society  for  promoting  religion 
among  the  Coloured  Population.  That  discourse  is  some- 
where among  my  papers  ;  what  it  contains  I  know  not ;  but 
if  you  wish  to  have  it,  I  will  look  it  up  and  send  it  to  you. 

"  The  early  Presbyterian  ministers  in  Old  Virginia  were 
far  more  attentive  to  the  instruction  of  the  blacks  than  their 
immediate  successors.  I  have  had  under  my  pastoral  care  a 
number  of  Mr.  Davies's  converts,  particularly  Will  and  Ned, 
brothers,  who  belonged  to  Col.  Thomas  Read  of  Charlotte, 
and  were  eminent  for  piety.  Both  were  natives  of  Africa. 
They  were  brought  over  when  boys,  and  were  taught  to  read 
by  Mr.  Davies,  or  some  one  under  his  direction.  Will  ad- 
hered to  the  Presbyterian  Church  while  I  remained  in  Vir- 
ginia, but  Ned  went  over  to  the  Baptists  and  became  a 
preacher.  They  were  both  very  aged  when  I  last  saw  them. 
Old  Harry,  who  belonged  to  Ben  Allen,  in  Cumberland,  was 
one  of  the  most  fervently  devout  men  I  ever  met  with.  He 
also  could  read,  and  had  a  Bible  which  had  been  given  him 
by  Mr.  Davies  ;  but  having  come  to  the  country  after  he 
was  gix)wn  to  be  a  man,  he  spoke  our  language  in  so  broken 


PREACHING   TO    SLAVES.  429 

a  manner  that  I  could  not  understand  much  of  what  he  said  ; 
but  his  soul  appeared  to  be  all  on  fire  with  love  to  Jesus 
Christ.  One  of  the  most  fervent  spirits  I  ever  knew  was  old 
Molly,  who  once  belonged  to  Dr.  John  Blair  Smith.  At  public 
worship  she  could  not  restrain  the  expression  of  her  feelings. 
As  her  noise  disturbed  the  congregation,  he  expostulated 
much  with  her,  but  all  in  vain.  When  I  lived  at  Hampden 
Sidney,  she  belonged,  I  think,  to  Martin  Sadler. 

"  The  Presbyterian  preacher  who  laboured  more  than 
any  other  among  the  blacks,  and  with  more  success,  was  the 
Kev.  Eobert  Henry,  of  Charlotte.  He  Avas  the  pastor  of 
Cub  Creek  and  Briery,  and  was  a  very  singular  man.  Though 
a  graduate  of  Nassau  Hall,  he  was  a  rough,  uncultivated 
Scotchman,  who  so  blundered  in  preaching  that  he  often 
placed  himself  in  a  very  awkward  attitude.  Old  Father 
Patillo,  upon  being  asked  in  my  presence  about  Kobert 
Henry,  said,  'He  had  as  much  grace  as  would  serve  two 
men,  but  not  half  enough  for  himself.'  He  delighted  in 
preaching  to  the  negroes,  and  as  the  fruit  of  his  labours,  had 
nearly  a  hundred  communicants  at  Cub  Creek  alone.  When 
I  commenced  my  ministry  there,  the  number  was  above  sev- 
enty. Twenty-five  communicants,  and  several  of  them  dis- 
tinguished for  piety,  belonged  to  Mrs.  Coles,  on  Staunton 
River  ;  and  this  lady,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  [Paul]  Carrington, 
of  Sylvan  Hill,  though  not  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  testified  to  the  good  effects  of  religion  upon  her  ser- 
vants. Almost  all  her  house-servants  were  members  of  tlie 
Church,  and  one  man  was  constituted  by  the  session  an  over- 
seer of  the  coloured  communicants.     It  was  a  lovely  sight  to 


430  rriEACHiNG  to  slaves. 

see  these  seventy  blacks  surrounding  the  table  of  the  Lord. 
I  see  the  pious  and  humble  labours  of  this  servant  of  God 
are  now  likely  to  be  overlooked  and  forgotten.  The  trumpets 
for  sounding  the  praises  of  men  were  not  used  in  his  day. 
The  existence  of  this  body  of  black  communicants,  and  the 
sreat  number  of  other  blacks  who  attended  at  Cub  Creek, 
induced  Dr.  [John  H.]  Kice,  when  a  pastor  of  this  church, 
to  apply  for  a  commission  to  labour  for  a  part  of  his  time 
among  them. 

"  Old  Mr.  Mitchell,  if  his  memory  is  not  gone,  can  fur- 
nish you  with  facts  which  no  living  man  beside  can.  He  can 
tell  you  of  the  labours  of  his  father-in-law,  the  Rev.  David 
Rice,  and  of  his  colleague  the  Rev.  James  Turner,  both  of 
whom,  I  think,  preached  often  to  the  blacks. — [In  later 
times]  I  know  it  to  be  a  fact  that  multitudes  would  walk 
ten  miles  to  hear  a  black  man  who  could  not  read  a  word, 
[in  preference]  to  going  to  hear  the  best  sermons  within  a 
few  miles.  And  when  we  made  appointments  to  preach  to 
them  alone,  which  was  often  done,  their  habit  of  indulging 
their  feelings,  by  shouting,  and  their  desire  to  have  such  feel- 
ings roused,  presented  an  effectual  bar  to  regular  instruction. 
This  they  thought  was  religion,  and  the  way  to  glorify  God. 
Still  much  more  might  have  been  done  [by  later  ministers.] 
When  I  left  the  State,  upon  a  retrospect  of  my  ministry,  I 
deeply  regretted  that  I  had  not  laboured  more  for  the  in- 
struction of  these  people  ;  and  I  wrote  to  my  friend,  the 
Rev.  Matthew  Lyle,  an  earnest  exhortation  to  attempt  more 
in  this  way. — We  had  no  difficulty  from  the  government, 
when  I  resided  in  Virginia  ;  but  events  occurred  soon  after, 


FOREIGN    MISSIONS.  431 

which  induced  the  legislature  to  enact  stricter  laws,  and 
which  caused  the  people  to  be  more  jealous.  In  the  Valley, 
when  I  was  a  boj^,  the  number  of  blacks  was  very  small.  A 
few  w^ealthy  families  only  possessed  slaves.  Ministers  there 
had  therefore  little  to  do  with  this  subject. 

"  I  remain,  respectfully  and  affectionately,  yours,  &c., 

"  A.  A." 

The  scheme  of  Foreign  Missions  under  the  care  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  originated  in  the  West,  and  became  a 
fruitful  cause  of  contention  in  the  General  Assembly.  The 
work  which  is  now  performed  by  our  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions was  begun  by  the  Western  Missionary  Society.  While 
many  continued  to  harbour  doubts,  Dr.  Alexander  fully  be- 
lieved that  such  enlarged  operations  as  we  have  since  seen 
realized,  were  justly  to  be  expected.  He  therefore  wrote 
to  a  confidential  friend,  concerning  the  Church  enterprise  : 
*'  The  reason  for  encouraging  its  institution,  in  most  con- 
cerned, was  to  bring  out  resources  from  parts  of  the  Church 
which  were  perfectly  dormant.  Thus  far,  it  has  succeeded 
beyond  expectation.  The  Philadelphia  Synod  wdll  be  the  prin- 
cipal dependence  on  this  side  of  the  mountains. — New- York 
city  furnishes  the  richest  field  for  all  pecuniary  operations.''* 

He  was  always  a  zealous  advocate  for  the  work  of  For- 
eign Missions,  and  was  accustomed  to  indulge  liberal  and 
sanguine^  expectations  at  times  when  many  good  men  w^ere 
ready  to  be  appalled.  His  interest  in  the  work  was  aug- 
mented and  enlightened  by  "  that  minute  and  unapproach- 
able topographical  knowledge"  (we  use  the  words  of  the  Kev. 

*  T^ffnr.  to  the  Rev.  Henry  R.  Weed,  March  9.   1835. 


432  INTEREST    IN    MISSIONS. 

Dr.  Davidson),  "  which  no  other  man  possessed,  and  of  which 
nothing  in  print,  or  to  be  put  in  print,  can  give  an  adequate 
idea."  He  followed  with  anxious  inquiry  those  students  who 
became  foreign  missionaries,  and  maintained  a  lively  inter- 
course with  some  of  them.  His  correspondence  with  Mr. 
Whiting  of  the  Syrian  Mission,  and  Dr.  Armstrong  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  would  add  to  the  value  of  our  work,  if  it 
could  be  recovered.  At  the  monthly  prayer-meetings  held 
in  the  Seminary  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  he  often 
poured  out  his  stores  of  information  on  these  subjects  ;  and 
for  a  time  he  delivered  a  series  of  weekly  lectures,  in  the 
evening,  in  the  chapel  of  the  Institution. 

We  shall  next  make  copious  extracts  from  a  communi- 
cation on  a  subject  of  great  delicacy  and  importance  ;  it  is 
that  of  supposed  early  conversions  : 

"  I  was  not  aware,"  he  writes  to  a  friend,  "  until  your 
letter  put  me  on  the  inquiry,  how  barren  my  memory  is  of 
facts  concerning  early  piety ;  I  mean  such  as  have  follen 
under  my  own  observation.  In  books,  you  can  find  many 
cases,  but — strange  as  it  may  seem,  and  it  is  as  discouraging 
as  strange — I  cannot  remember  one  solitary  instance  of  de- 
cided piety  in  childhood,  where  the  child  lived  to  adult  age 
to  prove  the  genuineness  of  the  change.  And  I  do  not  here 
confine  myself  to  the  earliest  stages  of  childhood,  but  include 
the  whole  period  under  twelve  years  of  age.  I  will  correct 
what  I  have  said,  by  mentioning  a  case  which  just  ii^w  oc- 
curs to  my  memory.  The  Kev.  Mr.  Kobinson,  pastor  of  the 
Cove,  Albemarle,  Va.,  had  a  little  son,  who  at  the  age  of  six 


CORRESPONDENCE.  433 

or  seven  years  gave  evidence  of  experimental  religion.  I 
never  conversed  with  the  child,  but  heard  of  him  from  many, 
and  was  well  acquainted  with  his  father,  who  on  one  occasion 
took  the  child  over  the  mountain  to  the  Synod,  with  the  view 
of  conversing  with  the  ministers,  that  he  might  receive  ad- 
vice about  admitting  him  to  the  Lord's  table.  On  some 
account,  I  was  not  at  that  meeting,  but  heard  of  the  fact 
from  those  who  were  there.  Whether  he  was  then  admitted, 
I  cannot  be  sure  ;  but  if  not,  it  was  soon  afterwards.  This 
young  man  you  must  have  known  when  you  lived  in  Lex- 
ington. I  think  he  was  graduated  at  Washington  College. 
He  died  of  a  fever,  at  the  Union  Seminary,  soon  after  be 
was  licensed,  and  I  have  understood  always  gave  good  evi- 
dence of  piety,  living  and  dying. 

"  I  have,  however,  seen  many  beautiful  and  hopeful  blos- 
soms, which  were  never  followed  by  mature  fruit.  A.  B. 
was  the  daughter  of  an  excellent  man  in  Berkeley  (now  Jef- 
ferson) County,  and  the  granddaughter  of  one  still  more 
eminent  for  piety — one  of  the  fruits  of  the  ministry  of  '  One- 
eyed  Robinson,'  the  first  apostle  of  Virginia,  though  now 
remembered  there  no  longer.  This  little  girl,  in  1791,  was 
about  eight  years  of  age.  She  was  intelligent,  grave,  modest, 
very  conscientious,  loved  to  hear  sermons,  was  ready  to  con- 
verse on  religion,  and  seemed  to  have  a  warm  affection 
towards  Christian  people.  I  was  much  at  the  house,  as  I 
made  it  one  of  my  homes,  the  first  winter  after  being 
licensed.  I  never  saw  any  thing  in  this  child  but  what 
was  indicative  of  pure  and  elevated  piety.  She  was  almost 
entirely   exempt    even    from   childish   levity,    and,    as   her 


434  EARLY    CONVERSIONS.      * 

mother  told  me,  was  consistent  in  private  devotion.  I  die 
not  entertain  a  doubt  of  lier  being  a  regenerated  person. 
But,  as  I  have  been  informed,  for  I  saw  her  no  more,  as  she 
grew  up  all  her  religious  feelings  wore  off,  and  she  became  as 
gay  and  careless  as  other  young  ladies  of  her  own  age. 
Whether  she  is  now  living,  or  what  was  the  course  of  her 
after  hfe,  I  know  not. 

"  C.  D.,  a  boy  of  thirteen  or  fourteen,  attracted  universal 
notice  by  the  apparent  fervency  of  his  pious  feelings.  His 
prayers  in  public  havo  melted  large  congregations  into  tears, 
and  none  doubted  the  genuineness  of  his  piety.  But  when 
exposed  to  the  company  of  irreligious  companions  at  college, 
he  became  entirely  careless  ;  and  if  not  skeptical,  has  lived 
afar  from  God  until  this  day,  though  a  man  of  talents  and 
character,  and  high  standing  in  the  world.  He  was  of  my 
own  age,  and  when  I  was  careless,  he  faithfully  and  tenderly 
addressed  me  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  not  without 
some  present  effect.  He  said  to  me  then,  however,  ^The 
pious  are  deceived  about  me ;  I  have  never  experienced  a 
saving  change,  and  I  have  withdrawn  from  the  Lord's  table.' 
Some  years  afterwards,  I  met  him,  in  company  with  some  of 
the  profanest  young  men  I  ever  saw  ;  though  out  of  his 
mouth  I  never  heard  a  profane  expression.  I  felt  that  I 
owed  him  a  debt,  and  having  then  more  zeal  tlian  now,  I 
waited  for  an  opportunity  to  speak  with  him.  He  candidly 
confessed,  that  all  his  religious  impressions  were  gone  ;  that 
his  views  of  religion  were  greatly  changed,  and  that  when 
he  was  the  subject  of  these,  he  was  misled  by  a  set  of 
enthusiastic  preachers,  in  whose  opinions  he  now  had  no 
confidence. 


CASES   OF    RELAPSE.  43g 

"  E.  F.  was  another,  who  about  the  same  age  gave  pleas- 
ing evidence  of  having  received  a  new  heart.  ©Id  Christians 
would  smile  and  weep  when  they  heard  him  converse  or  pray. 
It  was  a  revival  season,  and  he  was  much  noticed  and  ca- 
ressed, and  after  a  while  evidently  became  vain.  He  fell  in 
love  also  with  a  lady  much  older  than  himself,  and  appeared 
like  one  almost  distracted.  He  turned  from  rehgion  some- 
what suddenly,,  and  became  one  of  the  most  profane  men  in 
the  land.     His  after  history  is  unknown  to  me. 

"  G.  n.  was  an  obscure  apprentice  to  a  tanner.  He  was 
seen  attending  prayer-meetings,  and  one  wet  evening,  when 
the  good  simple  old  man  who  conducted  the  meeting  found 
none  to  aid  him  in  the  prayers,  he  asked  this  boy  if  he  would 
not  pray.  The  youth  consented,  and  the  people  who  were 
present  reported  that  no  minister  could  make  a  better 
prayer.  He  was  thenceforward  called  out,  upon  all  occasions. 
Even  in  church,  the  minister  after  sermon  would  call  on  Gr. 
H.  to  pray,  and  all  wondered  how  this  boy,  who  had  nothing 
but  the  most  common  education  in  the  world,  could  excel 
the  most  learned  and  eloquent  ministers  in  prayer  ;  and  some 
good  people  would  rather  hear  G.  H.  pray,  than  Hsten  to  the 
best  sermon.  After  some  time,  however,  there  was  a  mani- 
fest change.  The  style  of  his  prayers  became  more  artificial 
and  elaborate,  and  there  was  an  observable  straining  after 
striking  expressions.  But  it  was  resolved  that  he  should  be 
a  pi^acher. — God  had  determined  otherwise  ;  for  though  he 
was  sent  to  school  and  afterwards  to  college,  the  Presbytery 
would  not  receive  him  when  he  offered  himself  as  a  candi- 
date ;  his  vanity  and  arrogance  had  become  so  manifest  and 


436  EARLY   IMPRESSIONS.        * 

insupportable.  He  was  mortified  and  grievously  offended; 
and  immedi^ely  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  law.  His 
course  was  downward,  and  his  end  hopeless.  Man  looketh 
on  the  outward  appearance,  but  God  judgeth  the  heart. 
Gifts  are  no  sign  of  grace. 

"My  old  teacher,  the  Kev.  William  Graham,  had  no 
cOiifidence  in  any  appearances  of  early  piety.  He  said  they 
were  seldom  permanent.  But  read  the  account  of  Mrs.  Ed- 
wards, wife  of  President  Edwards.  Did  any  one  ever  give 
better  evidence  of  religion  pure  and  undefiled  ?  Look  at  a 
great  many  other  cases,  in  Janeway's  Token  for  Children, 
&c.  I  have  taken  up  an  opinion,  that  all  rehgious  impres- 
sions made  by  truth  are  salutary,  even  if  conversion  does  not 
immediately  follow.  The  fruits  in  a  revival  are  commonly 
from  seed  sown  long  before.  This  in  the  spiritual  world  is 
precisely  analogous  to  the  harvest  in  the  natural  world.  But 
to  the  query,  what  ought  to  be  done.  God  has  promised  to 
ordain  strength  out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings. 
It  is  unbelief  to  deny  that  the  grace  of  God  can  reach  chil- 
dren. Why  so  few  are  converted  in  that  age,  we  do  not 
know.  Old  Dr.  Hopkins  believed  and  taught,  that  God  has 
conditionally  promised  the  salvation  of  baptized  children,  to 
parents  in  the  baptismal  covenant.  (See  his  system  of  Di- 
vinity.) But  even  if  this  were  true,  it  does  not  follow  that 
they  shall  all  be  brought  in  while  children.  Mr.  Richard 
Baxter,  in  his  Dispute  with  Tombes,  says  that  the  time  will 
probably  come,  when  there  will  be  but  few  conversions  within 
the  pale  of  the  church  by  the  pubHc  preaching  of  the  Word, 
as  children  will  be  pious  under  parental  culture,  before  they 


ROBERT   MAY.  437 

can  attend  with  profit  on  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  Do 
you  ask  what  should  be  done  for  children  ?  Persuade  parents 
to  do  their  duty  ;  to  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord.  But  I  have  a  favourite  notion,  that 
this  is  a  rich  uncultivated  missionary  field.  There  should 
be  a  class  of  preachers  for  children  alone.  If  I  were  a 
young  man,  I  would,  God  willing,  choose  that  field.  Twen- 
ty-five years  ago,  a  little  man  by  the  name  of  Robert  May, 
came  to  Philadelphia,  from  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
on  his  way  to  Hindostan  ;  for  the  European  war  rendered  it 
safest  to  come  here  and  go  in  an  American  vessel.  He  and 
his  wife  were  I  think  the  most  diminutive  couple  I  ever  saw 
matched,  and  they  were  childlike  in  their  feelings  of  vivacity 
and  versatility.  Mr.  May  never  entered  a  house  without 
inquiring  for  the  children  ;  and  his  manners  were  so  puerile 
and  afiectionate,  that  they  would  soon  cluster  around  him, 
and  clamber  on  his  knee,  or  cling  to  his  skirts.  In  fact  he 
conversed  very  little  with  grown  people.  He  was  not  in  his 
element  with  such,  while  with  children  he  was  all  alive,  full 
of  anecdote  and  pleasantry  ;  but  every  story  had  a  good  end, 
and  the  winding  up  would  make  them  feel  serious  and  often 
weep  after  aU  their  mirth.  On  Saturday  afternoon,  when 
the  schools  were  not  in  session,  he  would  preach  or  lecture 
to  them,  and  sometimes  a  thousand  would  attend.  A  small 
volume  of  these  lectures  was  printed.  This  dear  little  man 
remained  several  months  in  Philadelphia,  before  he  met  with 
a  passage.  In  India,  at  a  place  called  Chinsurah  [in  Bengal, 
eighteen  miles  north  of  Calcutta],  he  commenced  his  opera- 
tions among  heathen  children  ;    and  when   he  was  called 


438  PREACHERS    TO    CHILDREN. 

home,  which  was  about  three  years  after  his  arrival  there,  he 
had  twenty-five  schools  under  his  care.  Look  into  the  Re- 
ports of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  or  the  EvangeHcal 
Magazine,  for  some  account  of  him. 

"Our  common  preaching  does  the  children  no  manner  of 
good.  I  am  doubtful  whether  the  custom  of  taking  and 
confining  them  during  the  service  is  not  injurious.  But 
pass  this ;  sermons  suited  to  children  can  be  preached.  I 
have  tried  it  over  and  over,  and  I  never  had  an  audience 
more  attentive,  or  who  better  understood  my  meaning.  I 
often  go  now,  and  deliver  addresses  to  them  at  Sunday-school 
anniversaries  ;  and  to  keep  up  and  enliven  attention  I  com- 
monly stop  and  ask  them  questions,  which  I  expect  them  to 
answer.  They  seldom  refuse  to  speak,  and  their  answers 
give  opportunity  for  further  explanation.  I  delight  in  such 
discourses,  and  if  I  had  health  and  leisure  would  have  one 
every  week.  Perhaps  I  shall,  as  it  is.  But  I  am  constrained 
to  remark,  that  the  talent  of  preaching  to  children  is  of  all 
other  preaching  talents  the  most  rare.  A  brother  who  has 
better  preaching  talents  than  myself,  and  more  piety,  when 
he  speaks  to  the  children  reads  them  a  discourse  from  a 
paper,  so  composed  as  to  be  fit  for  the  press  ;  but  while  it  is 
in  the  course  of  delivery,  almost  every  one  is  vacant  or  wan- 
dering. I.  J.  K.  has  a  great  love  for  children,  and  has 
devoted  himself  to  the  Sunday-School  cause,  and  thinks  he 
has  the  talent  of  addressing  them.  I  went  to  hear  him, 
and  of  all  the  afiected,  vulgar,  quaint,  ill-adapted  discourses 
this  exceeded.  The  more  sensible  children  lau2;hed  in  his 
face.    L.  M.,  once  a  student  here,  often  undertook  to  address 


T)R.    LIVINGSTON.  439 

children.  His  method  was  to  entertain  them  with  figurative 
and  exaggerated  stories.  Sometimes  he  terrified  the  little 
urchins  almost  into  fits.  One  of  my  children  was  present  at 
his  meeting  when  a  thunder  storm  of  some  violence  arose  ; 
to  increase  the  terror  he  blew  out  the  candles  and  intimated 
that  perhaps  the  day  of  judgment  was  come.  Another  dear 
old  brother  screams  at  the  top  of  an  astounding  voice,  and 
they  gaze  in  stupid  wonder.  Too  much  noise  drives  away 
thought.  No  man  can  have  any  variety  of  ideas,  nor  any 
connjected  train,  beneath  the  deafening  roar  of  a  cataract, 
I  thought  at  first  that  the  sea  shore  would  be  an  excellent 
place  for  meditation  ;  but  the  ocean-war  drove  away  every 
thing  but  the  one  uniform  sombre  emotion.  You  perceive 
by  my  egotism  and  digressions  that  I  am  growing  old."  -^ 

The  letters  just  cited  illustrate  a  disposition  of  Dr. 
Alexander  to  draw  largely  on  his  own  early  observation,  and 
this  was  still  more  strikingly  exemplified  in  his  ordinary  dis- 
course. The  same  will  appear  in  a  paragraph  which  we 
refer  to  this  period,  and  which  undoubtedly  refers  to  the  late 
Dr.  Livingston,  of  New  Brunswick,  for  whom  he  entertained 
an  unusual  veneration. 

"  Another  divine,  who  belonged  to  a  different  denomina- 
tion, and  left  the  world  a  few  years  ago,  seemed  to  me  to  be 
eminent  in  piety.  Keligion  appeared  uppermost  in  his  mind 
at  home  and  abroad.  I  believe  he  was  seldom  in  company 
with  any  one  without  saying  something  about  the  worth  of 
the  soul,  or  the  excellencies  of  the  Saviour.  When  he  en- 
tered any  house,  he  seldom  sat  many  minutes  without  intro- 
ducing some  discourse  respecting  divine  things,  and  this  not 

*  Letter  to  the  Rev.  William  S.  Plunier,  February  26,  1834 


440  DR.    LIVINGSTON. 

in  a  stiff  formal  manner,  but  affectionately  and  earnestly. 
He  was  fond  of  conversing  on  experimental  religion,  and 
freely  communicated  many  interesting  particulars  concerning 
the  exercises  of  his  own  mind,  and  the  various  trials  and 
conflicts  which  he  had  experienced  in  his  religious  progress. 
He  mentioned,  that  when  a  young  man  he  had  long  laboured 
under  distress  of  mind,  which  was  not  removed  until  he 
heard  Whitefield  preach  ;  when  a  single  text  repeated  by  the 
speaker  seemed  directed  to  him  individually,  and  all  his 
darkness  was  removed.  He  had  much  confidence  in  the 
powerful  application  of  particular  texts  or  promises  to  the 
mind ;  believing  that  the  Spirit  directed  them  to  the  heart, 
for  the  relief  of  distressed  souls.  He  mentioned  a  particular 
verse,  which  had  been  thus  remarkably  brought  to  his  mind 
in  answer  to  prayer  for  some  brighter  manifestation  of  God's 
favour. 

"  On  a  particular  occasion  I  had  occasion  to  observe  how 
he  seized  every  opportunity,  at  public  houses,  to  say  some- 
thing which  might  leave  a  good  impression.  The  keeper  of 
the  inn  himself  attended  at  dinner,  and  my  venerable  friend 
began  a  story,  addressing  himself  to  me.  The  man  presently 
went  out  ;  he  paused  in  his  narrative,  and  as  I  was  surprised 
at  his  breaking  off  so  abruptly,  he  said  to  me  in  a  low  voice, 
'  I  commenced  this  story  with  a  view  of  benefiting  our  host ; 
wait  till  he  comes  in  ; '  and  then  resumed  it.  At  another 
place  where  we  stopped,  when  about  to  depart,  he  took  the 
owner  of  the  house  to  one  side  and  gave  him  a  pointed  and 
powerful  exhortation.     Wherever  he  was,  he  made  all  know 


DEATH   OF   EARLY   FRIENDS.  441 

that  there  was  one  in  company  who  feared  God,  and  who  was 
neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  acknowledge  his  dependence 
on  him.  On  crowded  steamboats,  he  would  always  publicly 
ask  a  blessing  at  meals.  His  appearance  favoured  this,  being 
truly  venerable.  He  was  a  man  of  large  frame,  and  wore  a 
flowing  white  wig.  His  heart  seemed  to  be  always  overflow- 
ing with  kind  affections.  Most  of  the  middle-aged  ministers 
of  the  Eeformed  Dutch  Church  studied  under  his  direction^ 
and  revere  his  memory.'' 

Among  other  tokens  of  advancing  life,  Dr.  Alexandei 
was  warned  by  the  removal  of  several  early  friends,  who  were 
called  away  during  the  vears  to  which  this  chapter  refers. 
His  friend  and  kinsman,  the  Eev.  Matthew  Lyle,  had  been 
called  away  in  1827.  We  have  already  recorded  the  death 
of  Dr.  John  H.  Rice,  for  whom  he  entertained  as  warm  a 
regard  as  for  any  man  living.  He  was  not  only  a  great  man, 
but  a  man  of  great  affections.  A  little  domestic  instance 
will  place  his  friendship  for  Dr.  Alexander  in  a  strong  light. 
Soon  after  the  removal  of  the  latter  to  the  north,  Mr.  Rice 
wrote  to  him  thus  :  "  And  here  let  me  make  a  request  of 
you,  which  I  have  often  thought  of  making  before.  I  do  it 
seriously,  and  in  the  spirit  of  a  friendship  which  I  am  assured 
will  last  while  life  lasts.  If  it  should  please  the  All-wise 
Disposer  of  events  to  remove  you  from  your  family  before 
they  are  educated  and  settled  in  the  world,  and  I  should  be 
spared,  it  is  my  most  earnest  wish  that  you  would  leave  to 
me  that  one  of  your  children  to  whom  you  may  judge  that 
it  would  be  most  advantageous.  He  shall  in  such  case  be 
to  me  a  child,  and  I  to  him  as  a  father.     I  hope  that  you 


442  DEATH  OF  EARLY  FRIENDS. 

will  excuse  me  for  making  such  a  .equest,  and  that  it  may 
not  be  forgotten/'--  And  after  .he  lapse  of  twenty  years,  he 
resumes  the  subject  :  "  I  owe  you  more  than  I  do  any  other 
man  in  existence.  It  is  not  in  my  power  to  do  any  thing  for 
you  personally  ;  but  should  the  Sovereign  of  the  universe  be 
pleased  to  order  that  I  should  survive  you,  it  may  be  in  my 
power  to  act  the  part  of  an  efficient  friend  to  some  of  your 
children."t  I^  1^36,  the  Kev.  Conrad  Speece,  D.  D.,  an- 
other companion  of  his  youth,  already  named  in  these  pages, 
was  suddenly  taken  to  his  rest.  These  and  similar  events 
had  an  obvious  effect  upon  the  ti^mper  of  his  mind  ;  not  in 
the  way  of  gloom,  but  as  producing  an  elevated  solemnity 
and  habitual  expectation  of  the  time  when  his  own  change 
should  come.  Yet  he  urged  forward  all  his  pursuits  with 
unabated  vigour,  and  rejoiced  to  see  others  rising  up  to  vin- 
dicate the  truth  which  he  loved.  That  some  of  these  per- 
sons belonged  to  other  denominations,  did  not  seem  to  di- 
minish his  regard  for  them.-  When  in  1839,  Dr.  Nettletou 
spent  some  time  in  Princeton,  Dr.  Alexander  found  much 
satisfaction  in  observing  the  coincidence  of  their  views  on 
the  great  and  contested  points  of  evangelical  theology.  And 
in  the  same  year,  when  the  accomplished  and  pious  Joseph 
John  Gurney  exercised  his  public  gifts  among  us,  he  took 
equal  pleasure  in  the  remarkable  approaches  which  this  good 
Quaker  made  to  the  doctrines  of  sound  faith.  At  the  age 
of  sixty-seven,  no  feeling  of  religious  warmth  manifested  any 
abatement. 

We  suppose  that  no  one  was  ever  long  conversant  with 

*  July  15,   1810.  f  July  21,   1830 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   FACULTY.  443 

Dr.  Alexander,  without  being  astonished  at  his  turn  for  the 
particulars  of  localities,  and  his  topographical  knowledge. 
In  the  estimate  of  those  who  knew  him  most  closely,  this 
was  by  far  the  most  remarkable  of  his  endowments.  It  was 
doubtless  fostered  by  his  living  in  boyhood  in  a  wild  coun- 
try, and  by  the  continual  and  often  solitary  journeys  of  his 
early  manhood.  However  much  he  might  seem  to  be  other- 
wise employed,  his  eye  was  always  directed  to  the  surface  of 
the  country  and  its  natural  configuration.  To  have  travelled 
a  road  once  was  to  know  it,  with  all  its  landmarks  for  the 
whole  of  his  life.  Wherever  he  had  wandered,  he  knew 
the  direction  of  all  the  streams,  their  rise  and  flow,  the 
chains  of  hills  or  mountains,  the  nature  of  soils,  timber 
and  crops,  and  the  ridges  which  mark  and  divide  the  water- 
systems.  And  he  had  the  faculty  of  extracting  the  same 
sort  of  information  from  travellers  and  others  coming  from 
regions  which  he  had  not  visited.  It  was  a  standard  topic 
of  merriment  with  him  to  banter  his  children  upon  their 
occasional  blunders  in  determining  the  species  of  a  forest  tree. 
As  he  began  his  eager  inquiries  on  these  subjects  when  our 
States  were  few  in  number,  he  was  able  to  add  to  his  know- 
ledge as  new  countries  were  settled  ;  so  that  we  suppose 
there  was  no  man  living  whose  acquaintance  with  the  geog- 
raphy and  topography  of  America  was  more  extensive  or 
exact.  In  times  when  private  modes  of  travel  were  common, 
we  have  known  him  to  draw  plans  of  journeys,  extending 
through  several  hundred  miles,  for  missionaries  leaving  home, 
with  a  note  of  distances  and  a  specification  of  every  night's 
sojourn  ;  without  the  consultation  of  book  or  map.      This 


444 


KNOWLEDGE    OF    CHURCHES. 


knowledge  reached  also,  far  beyond  what  is  common,  to  for- 
eign countries,  and  was  perpetually  increasing  by  his  study  of 
every  thing  new  in  the  shape  of  voyages  and  travels.  For 
the  same  reason  he  took  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  belongs 
to  the  natural  dehneation  of  the  earth,  and  in  his  later  years 
perused  with  much  zest  the  works  of  Mrs.  Somerville  and 
Professor  Guyot  on  Physical  Geography. 

As  connected  with  what  has  just  been  mentioned,  and  in 
some  degree  falling  under  the  same  faculty,  we  may  note  his 
acquaintance  with  all  the  churches  and  pastors  of  our  Pres- 
byterian connection.  If  we  did  not  know  that  hundreds 
now  living  can  bear  witness  to  what  we  say,  we  should  be  led 
to  modify  the  strength  of  the  statement  which  we  are  about 
to  make.  The  whole  territory  of  the  Church  was  so  mapped 
out  in  his  head,  that  it  is  scarcely  too  much  to  affirm  that 
he  knew  who  was  the  pastor  of  every  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  United  States.  Notices  in  journals  and  elsewhere, 
which  made  little  impression  on  others,  seized  his  attention, 
and  seemed  to  fall  into  the  right  places  and  fill  up  the  proper 
blanks.  In  most  cases  he  knew  also  the  whole  line  of  incum- 
bents from  the  beginning.  This  knowledge  extended  quite 
largely  to  other  branches  of  the  Church.  As  his  pupils  from 
year  to  year  spread  themselves  over  the  country,  he  followed 
them  in  their  wanderings,  and  particularly  kept  his  eye  upon 
those  who  went  to  foreign  lands.  There  was  not  a  mission- 
ary, of  either  our  own  Church  or  the  American  Boa/rd,  with 
whose  locality  be  was  not  perfectly  familiar. 


CHAPTER  SEVENTEENTH. 
1840—1851. 

DEOLINTjsG  years — UNABATED   STRENGTH    OF    MIND — CORRESPONDENCE    "REr 

8PECTING    DEATH STUDIES — EXTRAORDINARY    LABOURS    IN    WRITING 

DOCTOR  JOHN  BRECKINRIDGE — SLATES  AND  SLAVERY — VISIT  TO  VIRGINIA 

^LOSS    OF  FRIENDS PUBLICATIONS — ACTIVITY  AND   HAPPINESS    OF    HIS 

OLD  AGE. 

FEOM  part  of  his  public  duty  he  was  now  to  be  reheved, 
in  consequence  of  the  resolution  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  1840,  that  Dr.  Hodge  should  be  made  Professor  of 
Exegetical  and  Didactic  Theology,  and  that  his  own  title 
should  hereafter  be  Professor  of  Pastoral  and  Polemic 
Theology.  The  closing  period  of  his  life  occupies  somewhat 
more  than  ten  years,  and  begins  about  his  sixty-ninth  year 
When  we  speak  of  him  however  as  declining,  the  word  must 
be  received  as  applicable  rather  to  body  than  to  mind.  No 
one  could  perceive  any  abatement  of  his  intellectual  vigour, 
and  in  regard  to  professional  and  literary  labour  he  never 
was  more  abundant.     His  was  in  the  highest  sense  a  happy 


446  RECLINING    YEARS. 

old  age  ;  and  the  remembrance  of  it  fills  his  surviving  friends 
with  satisfaction  and  thankfulness. 

He  had  lived  to  see  the  institution  to  which  his  life  had 
been  devoted,  not  merely  established,  but  at  its  very  highest 
prosperity  ;  and  during  these  years  the  number  of  students 
attained  its  maximum.  In  every  part  of  the  country,  and 
in  the  missions  of  other  lands,  were  men  of  piety  and  dis- 
tinction, who  looked  back  with  affectionate  veneration  to  his 
paternal  care. 

As  the  horizon  of  his  view  was  thus  extended,  he  seemed 
to  glow  with  a  larger  benevolence,  and  at  no  time  manifested 
more  lively  interest  in  every  new  proposal  for  the  spread  of 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  than  now  when  he  felt  that  his 
days  on  earth  were  numbered.  It  was  a  common  observa- 
tion concerning  him,  that  while  his  judgment  was  cool  and 
his  policy  conservative,  he  never  rejected  any  scheme  because 
it  was  novel ;  and  no  man  was  more  sanguine  in  hope  than 
he,  with  regard  to  great  enterprises  from  which  even  younger 
persons  were  disposed  to  recoil.  Yet  he  was  not  slow  to 
recognise  the  tokens  of  decaying  nature,  and  to  draw  from 
them  appropriate  reflections.  In  1840,  he  thus  begins  a 
letter.  "  This  day,  forty-nine  years  ago,  I  was  licensed  to 
preach.  You  may  know  from  this  that  I  am  growing  old, 
and  of  course  approaching  the  end  of  my  pilgrimage.  My 
health,  however,  is  as  firm  as  it  has  been  for  years  ;  only  I 
am  still  distressed  with  weakness  of  nerves.  Dr.  Miller  has 
had  several  attacks  of  low  fever  this  year,  but  is  now  restored 
to  his  usual  health.     My  family  have  been  blessed  with  un- 


VIEWS   OF    THE    FUTURE.  447 

interrupted  health  for  more  than  a  year,  so  that  we  have  not 
once  had  to  call  in  a  physician.  For  this  we  desire  to  he 
humbly  thankful  to  Him  '  who  forgiveth  all  our  iniquities, 
and  healeth  all  our  diseases.' "  *  And  some  months  after 
this,  to  his  elder  sister :  "  For  some  time  I  entertained  a 
thought  of  visiting  my  friends  in  Virginia  this  summer ;  but 
after  reflecting  seriously  on  my  age,  and  on  the  expense  of 
the  journey,  on  the  small  benefit  that  would  accrue,  and  the 
important  duties  which  require  my  attention,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  rather  my  duty  to  stay  than  to  go. 
Whether  I  shall  ever  see  you  and  my  other  friends  again,  is 
uncertain,  but  it  is  a  matter  of  little  consequence.  If  we 
can  only  so  live  and  act  as  to  have  an  entrance  administered 
to  us  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
it  will  not  be  long  before  we  shall  meet  where  parting  is  no 
more.  Our  contemporaries  are  fast  dropping  off,  and  indeed 
very  few  of  our  early  acquaintances  are  now  left.  The  death 
of  Dr.  Baxter  was  a  solemn  admonition  to  me.  We  were  in 
the  same  office,  and  nearly  of  the  same  age,  and  his  consti- 
tution seemed  much  more  robust  than  mine  ;  but  he  is  taken 
and  I  am  left.''  f 

The  same  year  deprived  him  of  a  younger  friend,  the 
Kev.  John  Breckinridge,  D.  D.,  once  his  pupil,  and  for  a 
time  his  colleague  ;  a  man  whom  he  respected  for  his  talents, 
eloquence  and  chivalrous  bearing,  and  loved  for  his  affection- 

*  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Henry  R.  Weed,  D.  D.,  October  1,  1840. 
f  Letter  to  Mrs.  Graham,  May  31,  1841. 


448  l>n.    BRECKINRIDGE. 

ate  converse  and  ardent  piety.  It  was  often  remarked  by 
the  household,  that  no  one  had  the  faculty  of  drawing  forth 
his  powers  in  animated  conversation,  so  fully  as  this  warm 
and  brilliant  friend.  And  though  Dr.  Breckinridge  was  emi- 
nently remote  from  any  thing  like  undignified  levity,  he  knew 
so  well  how  to  present  that  side  of  any  subject  which  was  en- 
tertaining, that  his  presence  used  to  make  itself  known  by 
the  peals  of  genial  laughter  which  would  burst  from  the 
study.  He  was  equally  skilled  to  touch  the  chords  of  Chris- 
tian pathos.  And  we  may  be  allowed  to  say,  that  the  Church 
has  seldom  lost  a  man  who  more  happily  united  devout  ten- 
derness and  philanthropic  zeal  with  manly  honour  and  high 
courage  in  his  Master's  cause. 

Though  the  difference  in  age  was  so  great,  Dr.  Alexander 
looked  on  his  junior  colleague  with  high  respect  ;  which  is 
testified  by  the  following  sentences  from  his  Introductory 
Lecture,  next  following  the  bereavement;  it  is  likely  that 
much  more  was  uttered  by  him  :  "On  this  occasion  also  it 
seems  to  be  highly  proper  to  make  solemn  mention  of  the 
decease  of  one  of  the  most  active,  energetic  and  eloquent 
ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  who  had  been  not  only 
a  student  but  for  some  time  a  Professor  in  this  Seminary. 
You  will  all  understand  me  to  speak  of  the  late  Doctor  John 
Breckinridge,  whose  death,  in  the  midst  of  his  years,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  most  enlarged  and  flattering  prospects  of 
usefulness,  is  an  event  which  should  not  be  overlooked  by  the 
Church,  nor  cursorily  passed  over  by  this  Seminary,  to  which 
he  was  ever  an  ardent  and  efficient  friend.     Few  men  filled 


SERMON    AT    RICHMOND.  449 

a  larger  space  in  the  view  of  the  Church  and  the  pubhc,  and 
few  men  could  be  taken  from  the  earth  who  will  be  more 
missed.  He  was  indeed  '  a  burning  and  a  shining  light/  but 
we  were  permitted  to  rejoice  in  his  light  only  for  a  short 
season.  Our  only  solace  under  this  affliction  is,  that  it  was 
the  stroke  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  is  infinitely  wise 
and  good  ;  and  that  our  brother  departed  in  the  full  assur- 
ance of  faith  and  hope,  and  now  rejoices  in  the  presence  of 
Him  whom  unseen  he  loved,  and  in  whom  he  believed,  which 
is  far  better  than  any  pleasure  to  be  enjoyed  on  earth.  But 
let  the  memory  of  the  devoted  servants  of  the  Lord,  and  of 
their  work  of  faith  and  labour  of  love,  be  affectionately  cher- 
ished by  the  Church." 

In  the  spring  of  1842,  Dr.  Alexander  made  a  flying  visit 
to  Kichmond,  where  he  delivered  a  discourse  which  was  pub- 
lished. The  subject  was,  "  The  People  of  God  led  in  un- 
known ways  ; "  from  Isa.  xiii.  16.  On  his  return  he  writes  to 
his  sister  :  "  My  going  to  Richmond  was  a  sudden  thing,  and 
I  was  obliged  to  come  back  immediately  to  fulffl  appoint- 
ments made  in  the  State  of  New- York.  I  therefore  could 
not  with  any  ease  or  comfort  extend  my  visit  to  Rockbridge. 
During  this  vacation  I  have  been  almost  constantly  in  mo- 
tion, and  my  health  has  generally  been  good  ;  they  tell  me 
every  where  that  I  have  grown  much  more  corpulent  than  I 
formerly  was.  My  principal  weakness  is  in  the  stomach  and 
nerves  ;  and  though  diseases  of  this  kind  are  not  attended 
with  immediate  danger,  they  make  us  veiy  miserable  at 
times,  and  at  last  become  incurable  and  end  in  lingering 


450  VISIT    TO    VIRGINIA. 

death.  I  have  been  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Missions  to 
visit,  in  company  with  a  younger  man,  the  western  counties 
of  New- York  ;  to  ascertain  the  state  of  the  churches  there. 
But  I  am  very  doubtful  whether  a  person  of  my  age  should 
undertake  so  long  a  journey,  or  whether  any  good  is  likely  to 
arise  from  such  a  visit. — I  am  thankful  that  my  Ufe  has 
been  spared  to  see  all  my  children  educated.  And  now  if  I 
could  see  them  all  pious  members  of  the  church,  I  should  be 
disposed  to  say,  ^Now,  Lord,  let  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace.' "  * 

Notwithstanding  the  adverse  prognostics  of  this  letter, 
he  was  permitted  to  revisit  Virginia  in  the  summer  of  1843. 
On  this  occasion  he  delivered  a  discourse  before  the  Alumni 
Association  of  Washington  College,  on  the  Commencement 
Day,  June  29th.  From  the  crowd  of  persons  and  the  ex- 
treme heat,  he  was  during  the  address  seized  with  a  faint- 
ness,  which  was  alarming,  and  which  made  it  necessary  for 
him  to  be  carried  into  the  open  air.  No  expostulations, 
however,  could  induce  him  to  desist.  He  was  especially  de- 
sirous to  say  something  in  honour  of  his  old  teacher,  Mr. 
Graham.  He  therefore  returned  and  completed  the  delivery 
of  the  Address.  Its  last  words  were  these  :  "  Having  now 
finished  what  I  wished  to  communicate  at  this  time,  I  must, 
my  beloved  friends,  take  a  solemn  and  last  farewell  of  you 
all ;  expecting  never  again  to  see  the  faces  of  most  of  you 
in  the  flesh..     May  Heaven's  richest  blessings  attend  you  \" 

From  the  columns  of  a  religious  journal,  published  some 

*  Letter  to  Mra.  Graham,  July  5,  1842. 


LEXINGTON    ADDRESS.  451 

time  after  the  event,  we  derive  the  following  statement :  "I 
shall  never  forget  some  circumstances  connected  with  his 
last  visit  to  Virginia.  It  was  the  summer  of  1843.  He 
came,  as  he  told  me  when  I  met  with  him,  reckoning  upon 
it  as  his  last  visit  to  his  native  region.  Dr.  Alexander 
opened  the  Commencement  exercises  with  a  short  prayer. 
A  generation  long  gone  by  seemed  to  be  represented  in 
him,  and  while  he  sat  looking  down  upon  the  scene,  and  par- 
taking of  the  varying  emotions  that  swayed  the  auditory,  I 
could  not  but  fancy  what  thoughts  and  feelings  must  have 
been  passing  through  his  mind,  far  out  of  the  range  of  those 
that  were  present  to  the  minds  of  others  there.  He  had 
been  one  of  the  early  students  of  Liberty  Hall  Academy, 
under  its  first  rector,  William  Graham,  a  man  of  eminent 
talents  and  piety,  who  well  deserves  to  be  honoured  as  the 
father  of  learning  in  West  Virginia,  and  who  was  the  pre- 
ceptor likewise  of  Baxter,  Speece,  J.  H.  Eice,  and  other 
men  of  note,  both  in  church  and  state. 

"  In  the  afternoon  the  audience  again  filled  the  spacious 
building  to  hear  Dr.  Alexander,  the  most  of  them  for  the 
last  time.  The  heat  of  the  crowded  house,  and  the  effort  of 
the  occasion,  coming  after  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of  the 
morning,  were  too  much  for  an  aged  man,  like  Dr.  Alexan- 
der. He  faltered  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse,  grew  pale, 
stopped  and  sank  back  into  his  seat,  every  heart  in  the  vast 
assembly  beating  quick  at  such  an  interruption.  In  a  few 
moments  he  rose,  and  renewed  the  effort ;  but  it  would  not 
do.     It  was  not  long  before  he  gave  way,  and  had  to  be  car- 


452  LEXINGTON    ADDRESS. 

ried  out  of  the  house  in  his  chair.  I  had  listened  in  painful 
anxiety  from  the  time  that  he  had  commenced  again,  and  the 
feehngs  of  the  audience  were  now  all  absorbed  in  concern  for 
him.  Who  could  tell  but  that  the  cords  of  an  aged  and 
feeble  Hfe,  too  tensely  stretched,  might  suddenly  snap,  and 
the  scene  wind  up  with  a  melancholy  and  thrilling  event. 

"Friends  gathered  around  him,  and  begged  that  he 
would  leave  off,  suggesting  that,  with  his  consent,  the  ad- 
dress would  be  printed.  He  declared  his  intention  of  going 
on.  It  was  then  suggested  that  the  rest  should  be  read  by 
some  person  for  him.  But  no,  he  persisted  strangely,  and 
as  it  almost  seemed,  obstinately.  What  was  the  secret  of  his 
pertinacity  ?  He  had  an  office  to  perform,  he  had  a  tribute 
to  pay  on  that  last  occasion.  And  there,  under  the  shadow 
of  the  old  church,  surrounded  by  the  descendants  of  his 
own  paternal  family,  and  of  his  contemporaries,  amidst  the 
tombs  of  his  own  generation,  and  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
graves  of  his  own  parents,  he  sat  and  read  his  tribute  to 
Mr.  Graham — the  audience  clustering  around  him,  and 
hanging  with  fixed  and  tearful  attention  on  his  closing 
words.  He  sketched  the  character  of  Graham,  spoke  of  his 
services  to  the  cause  of  learning  and  religion,  and  concluded 
with  a  few  impressive  remarks,  in  which  he  spoke  of  himself 
as  the  sole  survivor  of  the  whole  number  of  officers  and  stu- 
dents, connected  with  Liberty  Hall  at  the  time  of  his  en- 
trance, and  for  two  or  three  years  afterwards,  and  exhorted 
those  about  him,  as  one  who  never  expected  to  see  them 
again,  to  seek  salvation  through  the  infinite  merits  of  a  Re- 
deemer. 


JOURNEY   HOMEWARD.  453 

"  The  address  has  been  printed.  But  it  needs  that  one 
shoiold  have  been  present  to  feel  the  full  impression  of  it,  as 
delivered. 

"  That  face  and  form,  that  group,  the  old  church,  the 
churchyard  with  its  monuments,  all  seen  amid  the  length- 
ening shadows  of  declining  day,  formed  a  scene  for  a 
painter's  pencil.  It  was  a  most  striking  and  appropriate 
picture  for  the  last  page  of  such  a  man's  pilgrimage  to  the 
place  of  his  birth  and  of  his  fathers'  graves. 

"N.  L." 

Concerning  this  visit,  his  eldest  brother,  Andrew  Alex- 
ander, Esq.,  thus  wrote  :  "  We  have  been  very  much  grati- 
fied with  the  visit  of  your  father.  There  were  frequently 
present  the  three  brothers  and  two  sisters.  It  is  not  common 
for  so  many  aged  brothers  and  sisters  to  meet  ;  the  youngest 
being  sixty-seven  years  old.  It  is  not  at  all  probable  that 
we  shall  ever  again  meet  in  this  world."  It  is  instructive  to 
add,  that  at  this  present  writing,  only  one  of  that  venerable 
circle  survives. 

On  returning  from  this  memorable  visit.  Dr.  Alexander 
thus  addresses  his  sister  :  "  After  an  absence  of  sixty-four 
days,  I  returned  home  ;  preserved  from  illness  and  all  fatal 
accidents.  But  the  day  before  I  reached  home  I  met  with 
a  slight  disaster,  which,  if  a  kind  Providence  had  not  inter- 
posed, might  have  been  very  serious.  For  in  going  from 
Chambersburg  to  Carlisle,  when  in  sight  of  Shippensburg,  the 
car  in  which  I  was  with  many  others,  ran  off  the  track  into 
a  ditck     The  locomotive  which  did  not  leave  the  track  broke 


454  JOURNEY   riOMEWARD. 

loose  from  the  car  by  snapping  the  chain  ;  otherwise  we 
should  have  been  dragged  along,  overturned,  and  perhaps 
killed.  Whereas  we  all  escaped  with  very  slight  injury.  I 
believe  that  I  was  more  hurt  than  any  other  person,  having 
been  driven  against  the  seat  before  me,  by  which  I  got  a 
stroke  on  the  leg,  just  below  the  knee.  I  felt  it  so  little, 
however,  that  I  walked  nearly  half  a  mile  to  Shippensburg, 
and  then  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  examine  the  place. 
But  at  Carlisle  I  found  the  leg  much  swelled,  and  the  skin 
torn  off.  I  had  an  appointment  to  preach  in  the  evening, 
and  though  I  was  unfit  for  public  service  I  found  it  neces- 
sary to  go  into  the  pulpit  and  make  the  effort.  Next  day  I 
came  all  the  way  home,  and  have  been  ever  since  almost  entire- 
ly confined  to  the  house  ;  for  by  some  means,  I  know  not 
how,  my  ankle  was  sprained.  But  I  am  now  nearly  well  of 
my  bruises,  and  all  the  time  have  enjoyed  excellent  health. 
I  found  all  well  at  home. — I  have  sent  on  my  Alumni  Dis- 
course to  Dr.  Kuffner.  I  might  as  well  have  left  it,  for  I 
had  no  opportunity  of  transcribing  it,  or  doing  any  thing  to 
it,  except  adding  a  few  particulars  respecting  the  Rev. 
William  Graham.  They  must  make  the  best  of  it.  I  have 
now  very  little  literary  ambition,  and  am  therefore  reckless 
as  to  what  becomes  of  the  address. — Upon  a  retrospect  of 
my  late  journey,  I  feel  glad  that  I  was  persuaded  to  under- 
take it  ;  though  I  now  feel  that  home  is  the  best  place  for 
old  peoi^le.  Whether  I  shall  live  to  take  such  another  jour- 
ney, 1  certainly  cannot  tell  ;  but  the  probability  is  that  "my 
next  journey  will  be  to  that  land  from  whose  bourne  no 
traveller  returns.     The  only  preparation  for  death  which  can 


DEATH    OF    MRS.    LEGRAND.  455 

be  effectual  to  give  solace  to  the  mind  is  a  lively  faith  in 
Christ.  If  we  confide  implicitly  in  him  we  shall  fear  no 
evil.  All  before  us  is  dark  and  unknown,  but  our  Great 
Leader  can  conduct  us  safely  over  this  Jordan.  The  valley 
looks  gloomy,  but  the  Shepherd's  voice  can  cheer  us  while 
we  pass  through.  Let  us  dismiss  a  timid,  unbelieving  spirit, 
and  be  strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of  his  might. 
We  should  not  look  into  our  own  hearts  for  comfort,  but  di- 
rectly unto  Christ.  The  more  we  trust  in  him,  the  more 
we  honour  him,  Nothing  in  us  or  about  us  is  more  dis- 
pleasing to  him,  than  our  fear  or  distrust  of  his  power  and 
grace.  He  seems  to  say,  as  to  his  disciples  of  old,  '  Why  are 
ye  so  fearful  ?  '  '  Wherefore  did  ye  doubt  ? '  '  Only  believe  ; 
all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  belie veth.'  " 

It  is  in  harmony  with  such  remarks  to  add  here,  that 
during  this  and  the  following  year,  he  was  called  to  mourn 
over  several  dear  friends.  Mrs.  Paulina  Le  Grand  departed 
this  life  in  1843.  No  Christian  woman  in  Virginia  was  more 
widely  known.  Having  come  out  of  a  family  circle  of  great 
wealth  and  extreme  worldliness,  during  the  great  awakenings 
of  which  we  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak,  she  signal- 
ized a  long  life  by  a  sincerity  of  Christian  deportment  which 
made  her  example  noted.  She  was  a  lover  of  good  men  ; 
she  entertained  strangers  ;  she  washed  the  saints'  feet.  Her 
home  was  open  to  all  disciples  of  every  name  ;  she  not  only 
sometimes  entertained  many  families  of  her  friends  at  once^ 
but  gave  a  welcome  to  the  humblest  wayfarer  who  needed 
shelter.  For  months  and  even  years  she  gave  a  home  to 
ministers  of  the  Gospel.     While  her  personal  experience  was 


456  DEATH    OF   MRS.   FORMAN. 

not  joyful,  she  loved  evangelical  truth,  and  spared  no  pains 
to  promote  it.  Having  a  masculine  skill  and  generalship  in 
the  conduct  of  affairs,  she  extricated  a  large  estate  from  em- 
barrassment, and  was  able  to  contribute  largely  to  good  ob- 
jects. Her  courage  was  remarkable,  and  no  instance  was 
ever  known  in  which  she  shrank  from  reproving  sin,  even  in 
distinguished  persons.  For  more  than  half  a  century  she 
was  the  friend  and  correspondent  of  Dr.  Alexander.  Nearly 
about  the  same  time  died  his  elder  brother,  Andrew  Alex- 
ander, Esq.,  of  Lexington  ;  a  man  of  probity,  sagacity,  and 
consistent  life.  After  a  brief  interval,  two  beloved  sisters 
were  taken  away,  Mrs.  Ann  Turner,  relict  of  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Turner,  and  Mrs.  Martha  Rice,  wife  of  the  Rev.  Ben- 
jamin H.  Rice,  D.  D. 

DR.   ALEXANDER   TO   MRS.   GRAHAM. 

"Princeton,  Jan.  20,  1844. 

"  Dear  Sister  : — 

"  The  occasions  of  our  writing  have  of  late  been  of  a 
sorrowful  kind.  Your  last  contained  an  account  of  the  de- 
cease of  our  dear  sister  Turner,  who  died  in  a  strange  land, 
but  surrounded  by  kind  friends,  and  supported  by  Christian 
hope  and  comfort.  It  has  now  become  my  painful  duty  to 
inform  you  and  other  friends  of  the  death  of  Anne  Forman, 
second  daughter  of  our  sister  Martha  Rice.  You  know  that 
she  was  married  to  a  young  clergyman  in  Kentucky,  who 
was  settled  in  or  near  Versailles.  She  visited  her  parents 
last  spring,  and  brought  with  her  a  little  son,  a  year  old, 
named  Benjamin  Rice.    Though  Anne  had  been  delicate  from 


DEATH    OF   MRS.    RICE.  457 

childhood,  her  health  appeared  not  only  good,  but  robust, 
when  she  was  here.  But  five  or  six  weeks  ago  she  was  seized 
with  some  disease  which  affected  her  head  and  stomach,  and 
on  the  11th  inst.,  gently  departed  this  life,  having  given 
every  evidence  of  being  a  sincere  Christian.  Her  last  words 
were,  '  I  wish  to  be  a  better  Christian  ! '  from  which  it 
would  seem  that  she  was  not  aware  of  the  nearness  of  her 
end.  Her  parents,  as  you  may  suppose,  are  much  distressed  ; 
but  while  they  sorrow,  it  is  not  as  those  who  have  no  hope  ; 
and  they  will  no  doubt  derive  spiritual  benefit  from  this 
heavy  afiliction." 

TO   THE    SAME. 

"  Princeton,  March  6,  1844. 

*'  My  Dear  Sister  : — 

"  Your  last  letter  conveyed  to  us  the  mournful  intelli- 
gence of  the  death  of  our  oldest  brother  ;  and  now  it  falls 
to  my  lot  to  inform  you  that  our  youngest  sister,  Martna 
Kice,  has  also  been  taken  away  from  us.  She  gave  up  her 
spirit  into  the  hands  of  her  Kedeemer  about  two  o'clock  this 
morning.  About  three  weeks  ago  she  was  seized  with  a  vio- 
lent chill,  followed  by  a  high  fever.  Three  or  four  days  ago 
her  fever  subsided,  and  we  hoped  that  she  might  recover  ; 
but  a  dreadful  oppression  of  the  lungs  came  on,  owing  to 
what  cause  is  not  known.  This  difficulty  of  breathing  con- 
tinued to  increase  until  she  expired.  With  the  fever,  which 
the  physicians  call  congestive,  she  had  also  an  inflammation 
of  the  tonsils,  which  rendered  it  difficult  for  her  to  speak. 
Being  confined  to  the  house  by  a  severe  attack  of  sore  throat 


458  J5J5ATH   OF   MRS.    RICE. 

with  fever,  I  was  unable  to  see  her  before  yesterdaj  morn- 
ing. I  found  her  mind  in  a  calm  and  comfortable  state,  in 
the  midst  of  bodily  pain  and  oj^pression.  During  her  whole, 
illness  her  understanding  was  undisturbed,  and  her  faith  was 
strong.  The  only  doubt  which  she  expressed  to  me  was  a 
fear  lest  her  perfect  peace  of  mind,  devoid  of  every  doubt 
and  fear,  might  be  the  effect  of  her  disease.  But  the  fever 
had  then  left  her,  and  the  same  peace  and  confidence  con- 
tinued to  the  last  ;  for  even  when  speechless,  she  understood 
every  thing  ;  and  when  her  husband  asked  her  whether  she 
could  now  say  that  God  had  given  her  victory  over  death, 
and  requested  her  to  signify  it  by  raising  her  hand,  she  im- 
mediately did  this,  and  soon  after  expired.  Her  loss  will  be 
greatly  felt  in  the  family.  She  will  be  greatly  missed  in  the 
congregation,  especially  among  the  poor  and  afflicted.  She 
was  active  in  works  of  faith  and  labours  of  love.  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  believe  that  this  sickness  would  be  unto 
death.  I  prayed  often  and  earnestly  that  she  might  be  re- 
stored to  health  and  to  her  husband  and  children.  But  the 
will  of  God  was  otherwise. — I  have  seen  Dr.  Kice  this  morn- 
ing. He  bears  his  bereavement  like  a  Christian  ;  his  feelings 
are  very  tender,  but  he  bows  with  entire  submission  to  this 
afflictive  dispensation. — Thus  our  family,  the  members  of 
which  have  been  so  long  preserved  in  life,  are  now  taken 
away  in  rapid  succession.  Out  of  eight,  three  have  departed 
within  less  than  six  months  ;  and  it  cannot  be  long  before 
the  remaining  five  shall  be  summoned.  0  may  we  all  be 
ready  !    And  may  we  be  enabled  to  meet  death  with  as 


VIEWS    OF    DEATH.  459 

little  fear  as  those  who  have  already  died  !     Faiewell.    God 
bless  you  all  ! 

"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"A.  A." 

TO   THE   SAME. 

"Princeton,  May  13,  1845. 

"  We  have  been  preserved  to  a  good  old  age,  and  as  God 
has  been  so  favourable  to  us  thus  far,  we  ought  not  to  dis- 
trust him  for  the  remaining  part  of  our  journey.  We  need 
not  be  troubled  about  the  dissolution  of  these  frail  bodies. 
*  Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return.'  It  is  a 
way  which  all  must  travel  once  ;  grace  and  strength  for  the 
day  we  must  trust  Him  to  grant,  who  hath  said,  ^  I  will  never 
leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee.'  If  Christ  be  near  to  us  in  that 
hour  when  heart  and  flesh  fail,  we  need  fear  no  evil.  He 
hath  himself  suffered  all  the  bitter  pains  of  death,  and  is 
therefore  able  to  sympathize  with  those  who  walk  through 
the  gloomy  valley.  His  people,  who  trust  in  him,  are  seldom 
left  to  darkness  and  discouragement  in  that  last  conflict. — 
As  we  shall  in  all  probability  never  meet  again  in  this  world, 
may  we  have  a  joyful  meeting  in  the  world  to  come  !  And 
while  continued  here  beyond  the  time  usually  allotted  to 
mortals,  let  us  pray  for  each  other  daily,  that  we  may  be 
counted  worthy,  through  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to 
inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  the  people  of  God,  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world  !" 


4(j0  VIEWa    OF    DEATH. 

TO   THE    SAME. 

''June  21,  1847. 

''  As  to  my  own  health,  it  is  very  good  in  the  general ; 
though  I  have  had  several  sudden  and  severe  attacks  of  dis- 
ease, which  seems  to  have  its  seat  in  the  stomach.  The  crazy 
tabernacle  must  come  down,  and  it  matters  little  by  what 
means  this  end  is  attained.  The  only  wonder  is  that  it 
should  last  so  long.  I  have  been  trying  of  late  to  realize 
my  nearness  to  the  eternal  world  ;  but  though  my  judg- 
ment is  fully  convinced  that  I  shall  soon  cease  to  be  an  in- 
habitant of  tliis  world,  and  be  in  an  unchangeable  state 
of  happiness  or  misery,  my  feelings  are  not  in  accordance 
with  my  judgment.  I  cannot  bring  death  near  so  as  to  ap- 
prehend the  reality  of  the  solemn  circumstances  in  which  I 
stand,  on  the  breaking  brink  of  eternity.  But  perhaps  it  is 
best  that  our  minds  should  not  be  continually  occupied  with 
the  thoughts  of  death.  When  I  attempt  to  think  distinctly 
of  what  my  views  and  feelings  shall  be  the  moment  after 
death,  I  feel  lost  in  the  obscurity  of  the  subject.  I  seem  to 
dread  the  awful  surprise  which  will  burst  on  the  mind.  But 
my  only  relief  is  that  the  Great  Shepherd,  who  accompanies 
his  sheep  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  will  be 
their  guide  afterwards,  or  will  furnish  them  with  a  convoy 
of  angels.  We  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about  the  par- 
ticular circumstances  of  our  future  state  of  existence,  if  only 
we  are  found  among  the  number  of  Christ's  sheep.  For  all 
his  people  he  has  provided  suitable  mansions  in  his  Father's 
house.     Some  will  occupy  much  higher  places  than  others  ; 


VIEWS   OF   DEATH.  461 

but  if   we  are  admitted  into  the  very  lowest,  it  will  be 
enough. 

^'  I  have  often  resolved  to  begin  to  make  special  prepara- 
tion for  an  event  so  certain  and  so  near  ;  but  I  find  I  can  do 
nothing  towards  it  by  my  own  exertions.  Dying  grace  is 
commonly  reserved  for  a  dying  hour.  The  best  preparation 
is,  to  be  found  watching  and  actively  engaged  in  our  Mas- 
ter's service.  In  thinking  what  will  make  death  easy,  it  has 
occurred  to  me,  that  a  lively  faith  is  all  that  we  need.  To 
have  an  humble,  confident  trust  in  Christ,  will  bear  us  up, 
however  the  waves  of  Jordan  may  swell  around  us.  Let  us 
not  torment  ourselves  with  unnecessary  fears  and  scruples. 
We  must  trust  entirely  to  the  mercy  of  God,  and  the  merit 
of  Christ  ;  and  if  we  do  so  sincerely,  we  shall  be  safe.  Every 
letter  which  I  write  to  you,  of  late,  I  think  will  be  the  last ; 
for  considering  our  advanced  age,  it  is  to  be  expected  that 
one  of  us  will  soon  be  called  away  ;  and  it  cannot  be  long 
before  we  shall  meet  in  another,  and  I  hope  a  better  world." 

TO    THE    SAME. 

"Princeton,  June  18,  1848. 

"  Dear  Sister  : — 

"  I  am  sorry  to  find  by  your  letter  that  your  health  is 
not  as  good  as  usual  ;  but  at  our  age  we  must  expect  to  be 
subject  to  many  and  increasing  infirmities,  until  death  comes 
to  release  us  from  all  the  evils  of  our  present  condition. 
Though  death  is  called  the  king  of  terrors,  and  the  last  ene- 
my, yet  to  the  believer  he  is  a  conquered  foe,  or  rather  is 
converted  into  a  friend.      Therefore  Paul,  in  giving  an  in- 


462  VIEWS   OF    DEATH. 

ventory  of  the  possessions  of  the  Christian,  places  deatb 
among  the  number :  ^  For  all  things  are  yours  ;  whether 
Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  pres- 
ent, or  things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours,  and  ye  are  Christ's,  and 
Christ  is  God's/  And  he  says  again,  *  For  me  to  live  is 
Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain  : '  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  be 
with  Christ,  '  which  is  far  better/  There  is  much  sin  in  in- 
dulging unbelieving  and  unreasonable  fears  of  death.  We 
ought  to  place  more  confidence  in  the  Captain  of  our  salva- 
tion, who  has  promised  never  to  leave  nor  forsake  his  people, 
and  to  be  with  them  in  the  valley  and  shadow  of  death. 
How  often  do  we  see  those  who  were  subject  to  bondage  all 
their  lives,  delivered  from  all  fear  when  they  are  laid  on  their 
death  beds.  And  thus,  I  trust,  it  will  be  with  you.  '  Jesus 
can  make  a  dying  bed  feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are.'  Be 
determined  to  trust  in  the  Lord  and  fear  no  evil.  He  is  a 
powerful,  a  loving,  and  a  faithful  Shepherd." 

TO   THE    SAME. 

"Princeton,  August  1,  1849. 

"  Dear  Sister  : — 

"Yours  of  the  3d  inst.  came  to  hand  this  morning.  I 
am  gratified  to  learn  that  your  health  continues  so  firm,  at 
BO  advanced  an  age.  It  is  certainly  a  cause  of  great  thank- 
fulness.  What  you  say  of  your  health  during  the  past  yeai 
is  with  some  exception  true  in  regard  to  myself  My  gene- 
ral health  was  never  so  good  since  I  was  in  the  ministry,  as 
for  a  few  years  past  ;  and  I  am. more  fleshy  than  in  any 
former  period.      But  in  the  last  month  I  had  a  pretty  vio- 


ACTIVE   OLD    AGE.  463 

lent  attack^  v/hich,  if  it  had  not  been  taken  in  time,  might 
have  ended  in  Cholera.  In*  regard  to  this  desolating  pesti- 
lence, which  is  a  heavy  judgment  on  om*  land  for  the  sins  of 
the  people,  our  town  like  "yours  has  hitherto  been  exempt.'' 

Again  in  1850,  he  writes  :  "  My  time  must  come  soon. 
If  I  can  only  be  ready,  it  matters  not  whether  I  pore  over 
the  inevitable  event  or  not.  Our  departure  will  probably  not 
be  very  far  apart.  May  we  meet  in  a  happier  world  ! ''  "'*'•■ 
The  last  letter  to  this  estimable  sister,  and  indeed  the  latest 
date  which  has  come  to  our  hands,  is  of  June  12,  1851,  and 
closes  a  correspondence  of  at  least  fifty  years.  It  is  written 
in  a  fair  and  firm  hand,  and  is  filled  with  lively  domestic  de- 
tails. 

We  have  varied  from  chronological  exactness,  and  omit- 
ted certain  things,  in  order  to  give  these  letters  and  extracts 
in  unbroken  series.  They  evidently  proceed  from  one  who 
had  learnt  to  look  death  in  the  face,  and  are  from  first  to 
last  a  comment  on  the  maxim,  Disce  mori  If  we  had  no- 
thing else  to  judge  by,  we  might  suppose  them  to  have  been 
penned  by  one  who  had  laid  aside  the  entire  business  of  life, 
and  devoted  his  mind  to  the  recluse  contemplation  of  eter- 
nity. But  so  far  was  this  from  being  the  case,  there  was  no 
time  in  his  whole  life  in  which  he  was  more  full  of  employ- 
ment, or  set  about  it  with  higher  zest.  His  sympathy  with 
the  world  about  him  was  uncommon.  He  had  not  ceased  to 
take  pleasure  in  the  afiairs  of  the  Church  or  the  intercourse 
of  friends,  and  seemed  bent  on  working  to  the  last  both  pub- 
licly and  privately.     The  prosperity  of  the  institution  was 

*  Letter  to  Mrs.  Graham,  Jau.  30.  1850. 


464  CONNECTION    WITH   PUBLIC    BODIES. 

great.  For  part  of  the  time  the  number  of  students  was  nearlj 
one  hundred  and  fifty.  In  1843,  the  beautiful  library  build- 
ing, reared  by  the  munificence  of  Mr.  Lenox,  was  completed. 
Health  prevailed  in  his  own  family,  of  whom  five  children  out 
of  seven  now  surrounded  him.  It  was  by  far  the  most  serene, 
if  not  the  happiest  portion  of  his  life.  It  was  in  his  view  an 
addition  to  his  comfort,  that  two  of  his  sons  were  his  col- 
leagues. The  visit  of  a  deputation  from  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  in  1843-4,  greatly  awakened  his  feelings.  The 
visit  of  the  Kev.  Dr.  Cunningham  in  particular,  offered  an 
occasion  for  long  and  interesting  conference  upon  the  state 
of  the  Church  and  the  methods  of  theological  education. 
Some  of  the  enterprises  to  which  he  had  adhered  in  their 
darker  hour,  such  as  the  Foreign  Missions  of  our  Church,  and 
the  colonization  of  the  Free  Blacks,  began  to  show  signs  of 
eminent  success.  In  1849,  a  benevolent  Episcopalian  of  the 
South,  in  founding  a  seminary  in  Liberia,  requested  that  it 
might  be  called  the  "  Alexander  High  School ;  "  adding,  "  to 
him  they  are  indebted  ;  for  but  for  said  article  [proposing 
the  plan]  this  donation  would  not  have  have  been  made,  and 
I  trust  it  will  in  due  time  grow  into  a  college  bearing  the 
same  name."  •'•• 

It  is  generally  known  that  the  various  benevolent  schemes 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  are  conducted  by  large  commis- 
sions of  clergymen  and  laymen,  which  are  denominated 
Boards.  These  are  elected  from  time  to  time  by  the  General 
Assembly.  Dr.  Alexander  was  from  their  origin  an  impor- 
tant member  of  these  bodies.    Of  the  Standing  Committee  of 

*  Quoted  in  a  letter  of  Elliott  Crosson  to  Dr.  Alexander,  April  20,  1849. 


PUBLIC   BODIES.  465 

Missions  he  was  chosen  a  member  in  1807  ;  and  continued 
in  this  and  in  the  Board  of  Missions  which  grew  out  of  it, 
until  his  death.  As  long  as  he  remained  in  Philadelphia  he 
met  constantly  with  the  Committee,  and  sometimes  went 
from  Princeton  afterwards  for  the  same  purpose.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  from  the  beginning.  We 
have  elsewhere  spoken  of  his  interest  in  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Western  Missionary 
Society,  which  preceded  the  Board,  he  was  elected  a  Yice- 
President.  In  1837  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Board, 
and  remained  such  as  long  as  he  lived.  "  He  was  punctual,^' 
says  the  Hon.  Walter  Lowrie,  "in  his  attendance  at  the 
meetings  ;  and  from  his  minute  knowledge  of  ail  its  operations 
was  a  most  useful  and  influential  member.  After  the  death 
of  Dr.  Miller,  he  was  on  the  6  th  of  May,  1850,  elected  Pres- 
ident of  the  Board,  and  was  such  until  the  time  of  his 
death."  He  was  likewise  President  of  the  Board  of  Publica- 
tion from  its  origin,  was  constantly  invited  to  their  coun- 
sels, and  prepared  a  number  of  their  works. 

In  addition  to  these  strictly  Presbyterian  schemes,  he 
was  greatly  interested  in  the  American  Sunday  School 
Union,  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  the  American 
Tract  Society.  For  the  first  named  he  furnished  several 
valuable  publications.  In  regard  to  the  Tract  Society  his 
affection  and  zeal  never  abated.  For  a  time  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  their  Publishing  Committee  ;  he  wrote  some  of  their 
smaller  publications,  and  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  the 
American  Messenger  ;  in  which,  it  is  believed,  his  very  last 
communication  for  the  press  appeared.     One  of  the  closing 


466  WRITING    IN    OLD    AGE. 

acts  of  his  life  was  to  give  a  sum  to  send  one  oi  their  small 
libraries  to  a  destitute  pastor.  He  was  particularly  solicit- 
ous to  extend  their  circulation  of  volumes,  and  said,  late  in 
life  :  "I  reflect  on  no  part  of  my  life  with  more  satisfaction 
than  any  little  agency  I  have  had  in  encouraging  and  pro- 
moting the  Society's  volume  circulation.  I  do  consider  the 
success  of  this  enterprise  as  intimately  connected  with  the 
prosperity  of  vital  scriptural  piety  in  our  land  ;  not  in  any 
one  church,  but  in  all  evangehcal  churches,  and  beyond  them 
all,  by  conveying  a  sound  and  practical  knowledge  of  the  Gos- 
pel to  multitudes  who  enjoy  no  pubhc  means  of  grace,  or 
have  not  attended  on  them.  If  I  could  do  any  thing  more 
to  urge  on  this  blessed  work  which  has  been  so  auspiciously 
commenced,  I  would  cordially  lend  my  aid."  Again  he  says, 
under  a  later  date  :  "  The  success  of  the  volume  circulation 
gladdens  my  heart  every  time  I  think  of  it  ;  and  I  sincerely 
wish,  that,  instead  of  twenty  volumes,  you  had  a  hundred  in 
circulation." 

It  is  proper  that  we  should  add  something  of  the  lit 
erary  labours  of  this  period.  He  was  accustomed  to  say 
that  he  wrote  more  than  in  any  previous  part  of  his  life. 
Indeed  it  was  his  solace,  and  the  pen  was  continually  in  his 
hand.  This  is  the  more  sm-prising,  as  for  some  of  his  closing 
years,  he  scarcely  made  any  use  of  one  eye,  and  was  frequent- 
ly threatened  in  the  other.  Yet  when  he  was  not  hurried, 
his  manuscript  character  was  round,  clear  and  bold  ;  though 
he  never  used  desk  or  table,  but  held  the  paper  before  him, 
on  a  wide  book  or  port- folio. 

His  volume  entitled  "  Thoughts  on  Religious  Experience/' 


REVIEWS.  467 

already  mentioned,  appeared  as  a  separate  work  in  1840.  It 
contains  the  results  of  his  matured  thinking  upon  the  inward 
work  of  grace,  and  has  been  extensively  useful.  No  one  of 
his  writings  more  fully  reveals  his  own  opinions  and  feehngs 
upon  the  rise  and  progress  of  godliness  in  the  soul.  The 
work  was  adopted  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication, 
and  in  1853  appeared  in  a  G-erman  translation. 

In  1841,  he  reviewed  the  Works  of  Dr.  Chalmers,  for 
whom  he  cherished  the  greatest  respect,  but  from  whom  he 
was  constrained  to  differ  on  some  points  of  metaphysical  the- 
ology. Esjpecially  he  objects,  as  McCosh  has  since  done,  to 
Chalmers's  opinion,  that  moraHty  can  be  ascribed  to  no  feel- 
ing or  emotion  unless  it  be  the  consequence  of  volition,  or- 
somehow  connected  with  volition.*  He  also  wrote,  as  he 
had  often  done  before,  on  the  "  Religious  Instruction  of  the 
Negroes."  He  likewise  reviewed  Dr.  Hetherington's  History 
of  the  Westminster  Assembly. f  He  contributed  a  warm 
and  instructive  article  in  behalf  of  American  Coloniza- 
tion, in  which  he  reiterates  his  opinion  thus  :  "  We  do  be- 
lieve, that  it  is  the  design  of  a  wise  and  benignant  Providence 
to  make  Liberia  the  asylum  of  the  whole  African  race  now 
dispersed  over  this  continent  and  the  West  India  islands. 
It  is  our  sincere  persuasion,  that  no  event  which  has  occurred 
in  the  world  since  the  commencement  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, is  at  all  equal  in  real  importance  to  the  successful  es- 
tablishment of  this  little  colony."     He  furnished  reviews  of 

*  Princeton  Review,  1841,  p.  30,  ff.     The  article  is  only  in  part  from  hia 
pen. 

\  Princeton  Review,  1843,  po.  30-41  ;  and  pp.  561-58'?. 


468  REVIEWS. 

Dr.  Reid's  ^'  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Ireland  ;' 
and  of  the  "  Debate  on  Baptism  "  between  Dr.  Rice  and  Al- 
exander Campbell. "'•'■   He  wrote  and  published  at  some  length 
on  the  Life  of  Dean  Milner,  whom  he  greatly  admired,  on 
Struther's  History  of  the  Relief  Church  in  Scotland,  and  on 
the  collected  works  of  Andrew  Fuller. f     The  Horae  Apoca- 
lypticae  of  Elliott  drew  from  him  a  long  and  careful  disser- 
tation ;  and  he  wrote  an  extended  review  of  Dr.  Davidson's 
valuable  History  of  Kentucky.:|:     The  publication  of  Chal- 
mers's Sketches  of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosephy  urged  him 
to  appear  again  in  the  way  of  candid  and  decided  animad- 
version on  some  points,  mingled  with  hearty  praise  and  ad- 
miration.§     He  gave  a  notice  of  the  "  Free  Church  Pulpit," 
a  Life  of  Robert  Blair,  and  a  discussion  of  Free  Communion, 
as  against  the  rigid  view  of  the  Baptists ;  which,  if  we  mis- 
take not,  closed  his  labours  in  the  Princeton  Review.  ||    Mean- 
while he  was  preparing  and  at  length  published  his  volumes  on 
the  "  History  of  the  Log  College,"  and  the  "  History  of  Af 
rican  Colonization  ; "  the  latter  being  a  volume  of  603  octavo 
pages.     During  this  time,  there  was  scarcely  a  week  in  which 
he  did  not  contribute  some  paper  to  the  religious  journals. 
No  one  accustomed  to  consider  the  progress  of  literary 
performances  can  run  over  this  list  of  publications,  without 
some  astonishment,  that  they  should  have  proceeded  from 

*  Princeton  Review,  1844,  pp.  57,  199,  581 

f  Princeton  Review,  1845,  p.  191,  and  1846,  pp.  26,  and  647. 

J  Princeton  Review,  1847,  pp.  141,  and  4f0. 

§  1848,  p.  629,  ff. 

g  1849,  p.  82,  and  1850,  pp   185,  657, 


AUTHORSHIP.  469 

one  who  was  nearly  approaching  fourscore  :  especially  when 
on  examination  they  are  found  to  betray  no  marks  of  senili- 
ty, but  to  furnish  instances  of  his  most  acute  reasoning 
powers  and  most  ardent  emotion.  But  in  truth  these  were 
but  a  small  portion  of  his  labours  with  the  pen,  during  his 
last  ten  years.  Not  to  mention  new  lectures  on  the  branches 
which  he  had  long  taught,  he  was  making  incursions  into 
new  fields.  Among  the  manuscripts  which  remain  are 
many  of  this  period,  on  important  subjects,  and  some  which 
were  produced  during  the  very  last  year  of  his  life.  Certain 
of  these  are  on  the  Composition  and  Delivery  of  Sermons. 
He  drew  out  the  careful  plan  of  a  work  on  the  Duties  and 
Consolations  of  the  Christian,  and  began  to  fill  up  the  out- 
line, at  moments  of  leisure  ;  this  seems  to  have  been  one  of, 
his  last  employments.  He  completed  his  volume  on  Moral 
Science,  which  was  published  soon  after  his  decease,  and 
which  leaves. its  testimony  to  the  unimpaired  vigour  of  his 
understanding.  He  projected,  and  carried  out  through  some 
hundreds  of  pages,  a  work  on  Patristical  Theology,  intend- 
ed to  exhibit  the  opinions  of  the  Fathers,  on  all  leading 
points  in  divinity.  It  is  a  contribution  to  what  the  Ger- 
mans call  Dogmengesohichte.  He  began  a  Memoir  of  the 
Hev.  William  Graham,  to  whom  his  grateful  affection  seem- 
ed always  ready  to  turn,  as  long  as  he  lived.  This  fills  a 
small  quarto,  and  is  nearly  complete.  He  had  for  years  been 
gathering  materials  for  a  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Virginia  ;  and  from  time  to  time  was  engaged  in  entering 
in  an  immense  folio,  biographical  sketches  of  distinguished 
American  clergymen,  and  alumni  of  the  College  of  New  Jer- 


470  LABOURS   IN    OLD   AGE. 

sey.  To  these  must  be  added  the  whole  of  those  autobio- 
graphical sketches,  filling  numerous  volumes,  to  which  w^e  are 
indebted  for  the  earlier  portions  of  our  narrative.  These  do 
not  extend  further  than  the  year  1810.  They  are  inter- 
spersed with  memoirs  of  almost  every  distinguished  minister 
of  his  acquaintance  ;  to  which  indeed  their  extraordinary  ex- 
tent is  to  be  ascribed.  But  for  the  express  inhibition  of  their 
author,  they  should  have  been  made  public  in  their  original 
shape.  But  nothing  more  evinces  his  untiring  diligence,  and 
the  spring  of  his  enterprise,  than  the  fact  that  when,  in  1851, 
the  chair  of  Church  Grovernment  was  left  vacant,  he  not  only 
assumed  the  duties  of  this  department,  but  immediately  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  work  of  preparing  a  course  of  lectures. 
We  have  before  us  his  fair  and  sightly  manuscript,  of  sixty- 
three  large  folio  pages,  on  "  Church  Polity  and  Discipline." 
It  was  evidently  broken  off  by  his  last  illness,  and  ends  with 
an  unfinished  sentence,  on  the  independency  of  churches. 
This  was  in  September,  1851. 

In  this  same  lapse  of  time  he  wrote  numerous  sermons, 
and  preached  upon  an  average  once  every  Lord's  Day.  He 
likewise  corresponded  with  friends,  answering  perpetually  re- 
curring queries  on  important  points  connected  with  religion 
and  the  Church.  The  routine  of  his  Seminary  appointments 
was  followed  with  the  punctuality  and  much  of  the  vivacity 
of  former  years.  What  was  wanting  of  earlier  grace  and 
sprightliness  was  more  than  replaced  by  the  dignity  and 
wisdom  of  age.  At  no  time  did  he  carry  more  weight  among 
his  attached  pupils  than  in  these  years  of  venerable  decline. 
In  May,  1849,  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Miller,  which  he  had 


MRS.    DUNCAN.  471 

sought  two  yeay«  earlier,  was  finally  accepted.  It  was  a 
touching  sight  to  behold  the  forms  of  himself  and  his  aged 
colleague  on  those  occasions  when  they  appeared  together  at 
the  head  of  their  students.  Many  an  observer  was  prompted 
to  exclaim,  "  The  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of  glory,  if  it  be 
found  in  the  way  of  righteousness  ! " 

It  wfts  during  the  year  in  which  he  died,  that  Mrs.  Mary 
Lundie  Duncan,  of  Scotland,  visited  Princeton.  "  The 
hours  passed  in  Princeton,''  says  this  Christian  lady,  "  amid 
the  courtesies  and  hospitalities  of  the  venerable  Dr.  Alex- 
ander, are  among  the  hoarded  gems  of  memory.  A  powerful 
interest  hangs  around  that  aged  man,  so  true  of  heart,  so 
distinct  of  mind,  so  affable  of  manners.  He  is  full  of  Chris- 
tian sympathies,  and  ready  to  communicate,  so  that  3"ou 
require  but  to  put  an  inquiry  and  he  flows  out,  whether  the 
subject  be  of  sixty  years  since  or  of  yesterday,  and  it  is  your 
own  fault  if  you  are  not  the  wiser  for  his  communings. 
Perhaps  others  may  have  remarked,  what  added  much  to  the 
interest  that  cleaves  to  this  excellent  gentleman — his  strong 
resemblance  to  Wilberforce.  Though  much  more  bulky,  yet 
the  figure  is  Hke  that  of  a  twin  brother.  His  manner  of 
sitting  in  his  easy  chair,  of  speaking,  of  smiling,  and  above 
all  his  ready  way  of  giving  information,  and  his  edifying 
Christian  remarks,  showed  a  resemblance  both  in  the  mould 
and  in  the  jewel  within."  The  resemblance  in  the  points 
mentioned  has  been  noted  by  others,  and  will  not  fail  to  be 
suggested  to  any  who  examine  the  striking  statue  of  Wil- 
berforce, in  Westminster  Abbey.  But  we  ought  not  to 
withhold  a  marginal  note  of  Mrs.  Duncan's,  upon  the  above 


472  DR.    GREEN — DR.    DOD. 

paragraph.  "  How  touchingly/'  she  adds,  "  are  these  remem- 
brances deepened  in  pathos,  by  the  tidings  just  arrived,  that 
the  Patriarch  is  with  Abraham,  and  Moses,  and  all  the 
prophets,  in  glory.  It  is  true  he  has  reached  the  consumma- 
tion of  his  faith  and  hope,  but  then  his  family  have  lost  him 
— his  students  have  lost  him.  Princeton  will  see  his  face  no 
more.  The  Church  will  never  again  appeal  to  his  wisdom 
and  experience.  America  must  number  him  with  her 
patriots,  and  heroes,  and  divines,  who  have  departed — and  I, 
a  passing  stranger,  while  I  prize  the  more  the  privilege  of 
having  seen  him,  feel  but  the  more  keenly  that  the  antici- 
pated ^passing  away'  has  begun.""-*' 

The  death  of  numerous  distant  friends  has  been  recorded  ; 
but  we  have  to  mention  some  nearer  home,  which  cast  a 
heavy  shade  over  the  society  of  Princeton,  One  of  these 
was  the  decease  of  the  Rev.  Albert  B.  Dod,  D.  D.,  Professor 
of  Mathematics  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey  ;  a  man  whose 
brilliant  genius,  social  charms  and  high  promise  caused  his 
loss  to  be  keenly  and  widely  felt.  In  1848,  the  Rev.  Ashbel 
Green,  D.  D.,  late  President  of  the  College,  departed  this 
life.  His  remains  were  placed  among  the  sepulchres  of  the 
great  presidents  and  divines  in  the  Princeton  cemetery. 
Between  him  and  Dr.  Alexander,  who  was  his  junior  by 
about  ten  years,  there  existed  a  strong  and  unbroken  Chris- 
tian attachment.  But  the  event  which  more  than  all  others 
in  life  made  old  age  significant,  was  the  departure  of  the 
Eev.  Dr.  Miller,  on  the  7th  of  January,  1850. 

*  "  America  as  I  Found  it.  By  the  mother  of  Mary  Lundie  Dunoan." 
darters,  i)p,  107-8. 


DEATH   OF    DR.    MILLER.  473 

Althougli  the  public  has  reason  to  expect  a  memoir  of 
this  venerable  servant  of  Christ,  we  cannot  refrain  at  this 
point  from  adding  something  to  what  we  have  already  said 
concerning  his  character.  His  excellencies  were  admitted 
widely  in  the  church,  for  he  was  known  throughout  our  own 
country  and  in  foreign  lands.  His  publications  were  nu- 
merous, and  were  to  a  large  extent  vindications  of  the  doc- 
trine and  polity  of  the  Church  which  he  loved.  No  Presby- 
terian is  ignorant  of  the  promptitude,  courage  and  address 
with  which  he  came  forward  on  more  than  one  occasion,  when 
what  he  deemed  important  truth  was  assailed.  As  a  writer 
he  was  remarkable  for  the  purity  and  perspicuity  of  his 
style,  and  the  absence  of  all  meretricious  ornament.  He 
was  a  great  reader,  and  was  accustomed  to  enrich  his  works 
with  numerous  and  apt  citations  from  other  authors.  As  an 
instructor,  he  was  laborious,  full  and  hicid.  For  six  and 
thirty  years  he  occupied  the  chair  of  Ecclesiastical  History 
and  Church  Grovernment  ;  with  a  respect  from  all  concerned, 
which  augmented  with  his  age. 

It  is  impossible  to  remember  Dr.  Miller,  without  thinking 
of  him  as  a  Christian  gentleman.  Without  an  approach  to 
stiffness,  he  was  urbane  and  elegant  in  all  the  forms  of  the 
best  society,  with  which  indeed  he  had  always  mingled.  He 
was  cheerful  and  cordial  in  his  greetings,  lively  in  conversa- 
tion, and  fond  of  social  intercourse.  It  was  to  this  that 
the  founding  and  continuance  of  a  clerical  association  was 
due,  in  which  he  and  his  ministerial  friends  met  at  ono 
another's  houses  during  many  years.  He  was  the  charm  of 
mixed  companies ;   being  rich  in  topics  of  discourse,  and 


474  DR.    MILLER. 

happy  beyoud  most  men  in  apposite  anecdote  and  historical 
reminiscence.  Indeed  we  have  never  known  any  one  who 
could  give  such  magical  effect  to  little  ebullitions  of  humour, 
which  repeated  by  the  lips  of  others  seemed  to  lose  all  their 
aroma.  But  nothing  so  marked  his  character  as  his  evan- 
gelical piety.     It  was  the  opinion  of  his  colleague,  that  in 

this  Dr.  Miller  steadily  grew,  till  the  very  last.     He  loved 

.      .      .       • 
the  cause  of  his  Master,  and  was  unwearied  in  his  endeavours 

to  promote  it.  The  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  was  his 
delight.  Unsatisfied  with  the  opportunities  afforded  by  the 
Seminary  Chapel,  the  College  and  the  village  church,  he 
readily  complied  with  every  invitation  from  abroad,  and  until 
extreme  old  age  was  accustomed  to  go  to  the  neighbouring 
congregations  on  every  side,  and  unsought  to  bestow  those 
labours  which  were  always  welcome  and  edifying. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  inviolable  sacredness  of 
fraternal  regard  which  for  nearly  forty  years  subsisted  be- 
tween him  and  his  colleague.  During  this  long  period  the 
thre^-d  of  their  lives  had  been  entwined  together,  with  in- 
creasing closeness.  They  were  mutual  advisers  and  confiden- 
tial friends,  and  rejoiced  in  each  other's  progress,  happiness, 
and  acceptance  with  the  church.  Their  differences  of  opinion, 
which  were  slight  and  few,  were  matters  for  amicable  repartee, 
but  never  caused  them  even  for  an  hour  to  draw  in  dift'erent 
directions  ;  no  one  ever  dreamed  of  such  a  thing  as  a  faction 
for  one  or  the  other.  It  was  most  natural,  therefore,  that  Dr. 
Alexander  should  look  with  sadness  upon  the  tokens  of  de- 
'cline  in  his  respected  brother.  For  some  months  Dr.  Miller 
had  been  subject  to  attacks  of  disease,  and  at  length  was  en- 


DR.    MILLER  475 

tirely  confined  to  his  house.  His  decline,  however,  was 
denoted  more  by  great  debility  than  by  severe  pain.  Amidst 
it  all,  he  was  calm  and  believing.  Foreseeing  his  departure 
with  an  unerring  eye,  he  was  resolute  in  his  assertion  of  all 
the  truths  which  he  had  taught,  and  humbly  confident  in  his 
expressions  of  hope  in  Jesus  Christ.  Dr.  Alexander  thus 
briefly  records  his  decease.  ^^  Dr.  Miller's  health  had  been 
declining  for  several  months.  He  had  scarcely  any  disease, 
except  the  decay  of  old  age.  By  degrees  he  sunk,  until  the 
seventh  of  this  month,  when  he  gave  up  his  spirit  to  Grod 
who  gave  it.  He  was  calm  and  comfortable  in  mind  during  his 
whole  confinement.  He  expressed  no  very  lively  feelings,  but 
was  troubled  with  no  fears  or  doubts.  A  day  or  two  before 
his  death,  I  asked  him  whether  any  dark  cloud  at  any  time 
came  over  his  mind  ;  he  replied,  ^  None  whatever.'  "  * 

Among  all  who  surrounded  his  grave,  there  was  none 
whose  mind  was  more  deeply  solemn  than  his  aged  colleague, 
who  pronounced  a  simple  but  touching  f\ineral  discourse.  It 
is  much  to  be  regretted  that  no  full  report  of  this  was  ever 
made.  The  notes  which  exist  among  his  papers  are  no  more 
th^n  hints  for  the  aid  of  memory  :  yet  even  these  fragments 
we  feel  it  to  be  duty  to  subjoin  in  part.  A  large  portion  is 
manifestly  lost.  The  text  was  Hebrews  xi.  13  ;  '^  These  all 
died  in  faith,"  &c. 

"The  Keverend  Dr.  Miller  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Dover,  in  the  State  of  Delaware.  His  father  was  the  pastor 
of  a  Presbyterian  church  in  that  place,  then  flourishing,  but 
of  late  years  almost   extinct.     His  early  education  was  ob- 

*  Letter  to  Mrs.  Graham,  Jan.  30,  1850. 


476  DR.    MILLER. 

tained  under  the  special  tuition  of  his  father.  In  this  best 
of  all  schools  he  was  prepared  to  enter  college  ;  and  when  of 
suitable  age  he  resorted  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
where  in  due  time  he  was  graduated.  He  had  selected  the 
ministry  of  the  Gospel  as  his  profession  ;  impelled,  we  have 
no  doubt,  by  a  sincere  desire  to  glorify  God  and  do  good  to 
men  ;  but  the  speaker  has  no  particular  acquaintance  with 
the  early  religious  exercises  of  the  deceased."  Here  occurs 
a  chasm. — "  Being  always  careful  in  his  preparations,  and 
possessing  a  neat  and  perspicuous"  style  and  a  graceful  elocu- 
tion, he  continually  grew  in  popularity  ;  and  as  his  preach- 
ing was  truly  evangelical,  it  was  highly  acceptable  to  serious 
Christians.  At  an  age  much  earlier  than  usual,  he  was 
honoured  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  by  one  of 
the  eastern  Colleges  ;  a  distinction  which  he  afterwards  re- 
ceived from  other  sources  ;  as  well  as  recently  that  of  Doctor 
of  Laws.  During  twenty  years  he  continued  as  a  pastor  in 
the  city  of  New- York.  Before  the  decease  of  Dr.  Rodgers, 
the  Eutgers-street  church  was  separated  from  the  Collegiate 
church,  and  called  Dr.  Milledoler ;  and  at  the  decease  of  Dr. 
Rodgers  the  Collegiate  church  was  divided  into  the  Wall- 
street  and  the  Brick  church.  Of  the  former  Dr.  Miller 
became  the  pastor,  and  laboured  acceptably  among  that 
people,  until  in  the  spring  of  1813  he  was  chosen  Professor 
of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Church  Government,  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  this  place  ;  and  in  the  autunm  of 
the  same  year,  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office. 

"  It  may  be  remarked,  that  no  man  in  the  Church  had 
been  more  zealous  and  active  in  founding  this  Institution, 


DR.    MILLER.  477 

than  Dr.  Miller.  He  and  Dr.  Green  may  more  properly  be 
considered  its  founders  than  any  other  persons.  Others  aided 
by  their  counsels  and  occasional  exertions,  but  these  two 
devoted  themselves  with  untiring  zeal  to  the  prosecution  of 
the  object,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  their  exertions 
crowned  with  success.  At  this  time,  Dr.  Miller,  so  far  as  I 
know,  was  not  thought  of  as  a  professor  ;  and  I  am  per- 
suaded the  thought  was  entirely  foreign  from  his  own  mind. 
In  connection  with  this  Institution  he  has  continued  until  the 
day  of  his  death. 

"  Besides  labouring  in  his  appropriate  vocation,  he  has 
very  frequently  preached  in  this  and  the  neighbouring 
churches  ;  and  I  think  I  may  say,  that  I  never  knew  a 
minister,  who  delighted  more  in  preaching  the  Gospel.  As 
he  advanced  in  life,  it  appeared  to  his  friends  that  his 
preaching  became  more  spiritual  and  evangelical.  Even  to 
the  time  when  the  decay  of  physical  strength  confined  him 
to  the  house,  he  sought  opportunities  of  deliveiing  the  Gos- 
pel message  to  the  congregations  in  the  vicinity.  As  to  his 
writings,  which  are  numerous,  and  his  professional  labours,  I 
need  not  speak.  Of  his  ability,  learning  and  fidelity,  there 
are  hundreds  of  witnesses  scattered  over  the  land." 

"  The  character  of  our  deceased  friend  and  brother  may 
be  thus  summed  up.  In  all  the  private  and  domestic  rela- 
tions of  life  he  was  exemplary. — As  a  neighbour  he  was  kind 
and  courteous  to  all,  and  exactly  just  in  his  dealings.  As  a 
minister  he  was  fiiithful  and  evangelical,  and  was  accustomed 
to  present  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  in  a  manner  so  distiiict 
and  methodical,  that  his  discourses  could  not  only  be  under- 


478  UK.    MILLER. 

stood  with  edse,  but  readily  remembered  by  the  attentive 
hearer. — As  a  member  of  church  judicatories,  he  was  an 
able  advocate  for  [truth],  a  warm  friend  to  experimental 
and  practical  piety,  and  of  course  a  friend  of  revivals.  No 
member  of  our  Church  has  done  more  to  explain  and  defend 
her  doctrines  than  our  deceased  brother.  With  his  col- 
leagues he  was  uniformly  cordial  ;  and  I  have  never  hnovm 
a  man  more  entirely  free  from  vainglory,  envy,  and  jealousy. 
To  the  students  under  his  care  he  was  paternal  and  af- 
fectionate.'' 

We  cannot  more  appropriately  close  what  relates  to  the 
union  of  these  two  men,  than  by  giving  insertion  to  an  ex- 
tract from  a  letter  from  Dr.  Miller,  to  the  Kev.  Henry  A. 
Boardman,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia.  It  has  a  pathos  which 
will  go  to  many  a  heart. 

"Princetox,  Feb.  28,  1849. 

"  I  thank  you,  my  dear  brother,  for  the  kind  expressions 
which  you  employ  on  the  prospect  of  my  retiring  from  office. 
I  am,  indeed,  nearly  worn  out.  Far  advanced  in  my 
eightieth  year,  I  have  outlived  all  my  relatives,  and  all  my 
own  expectations,  and  am  compassed  about  with  so  many 
infirmities,  -that  I  am  persuaded  a  longer  continuance  in 
office  would  be  in  no  respect  just,  either  to  the  Seminary  or 
myself  Yet  in  looking  forward  to  retirement  from  official 
labour,  and  especially  to  that  day  which  is  near  at  hand, 
when  I  must  ^  put  off  this  tabernacle,'  I  desire  to  bless  God- 
for  the  humble  hope  which  I  am  permitted  to  entertain,  that 
I  have  so  good  a  home  to  go  to,  where  there  will  be  no 
more  infirmity,  and  especially  no  more  sin  ;    but  perfect 


DR.    MILLER.  479 

anion  and  conformity  to  Him  who,  though  he  was  rich,  for 
our  sakes  became  poor,  that  we  through  his  poverty  might 
be  rich. 

"  I  desire  to  unite  with  you,  my  dear  brother,  in  thanks- 
giving to  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  that  our  beloved 
Seminary  has  been  made  so  useful  to  our  Zion,  by  training 
so  large  a  portion  of  our  ministry  under  the  same  teachers  ; 
and  I  hope  I  have  some  sincere  gratitude  that  I  have  been 
permitted  to  occupy  a  place,  and  take  some  humble  part  in 
this  hallowed  work.  But  I  can  truly  say  that  the  sentiment 
which  most  strongly  and  prominently  occupies  my  mind,  is 
that  of  thankfulness  that  the  Lord  has  been  j)leased  to  unite 
me  with  colleagues  so  wise,  so  faithful,  so  much  superior 
to  myself,  and  so  eminently  adapted  to  be  a  blessing  to  the 
Church.  I  consider  it  as  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  of 
my  life  to  be  united  with  such  men,  and  pre-eminently  with 
my  senior  colleague,  whose  wisdom,  prudence,  learning,  and 
peculiar  piety  have  served  as  an  aid  and  guide  to  myself,  as 
well  as  to  others.  I  desire  to  leave  it  on  record  for  the  eye 
of  intimate  friendship,  that  in  my  own  estimation  my  union 
with  these  beloved  men  has  been  tlie  means  of  adding  to  my 
own  respectability  and  my  own  usefulness  far  more  than  I 
could  ever,  humanly  speaking,  have  attained,  either  alone  or 
in  association  with  almost  any  other  men.  I  desire  espe- 
cially to  feel  thankful  that  I  ever  saw  the  face  of  my  vene- 
rated senior  colleague.  He  has  been  for  thirty-six  years,  to 
me  a  counsellor,  a  guide,  a  prop,  and  a  stay,  under  G-od,  to 
a  degree  which  it  would  not  be  easy  for  me  to  estimate  or 
acknowledge. 


480  LAST   SYNOD 

"  The  union  in  our  Faculty  has  been  complete  And 
the  solid  basis  of  the  whole  has  been  a  perfect  agreement  on 
the  part  of  all  of  us  in  an  honest  subscription  to  our  doctri- 
nal formularies.  There  has  been  no  discrepance — no  pulling 
in  different  directions  here. 

"  Hoping  to  see  you  in  a  few  days,  I  am,  my  dear  sir, 
your  friend  and  brother  in  Christian  bonds. 

"Samuel  Miller." 

There  were  two  of  his  last  public  appearances  away  from 
home,  which  seem  to  deserve  a  record  from  us.  The  first  of 
these  concerns  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey  at 
Elizabethtown  in  1850. 

DR.    MAGIE   TO   JAMES    W.    ALEXANDER. 

^^Jan.  20,  1854. 

"My  Dear  Sir  :— 

"  You  ask  me  for  some  account  of  your  father's  last  visit 
to  Elizabethtown  ;  and  with  sincere  pleasure  I  comply  with 
your  request.  It  was  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Synod 
of  New  Jersey,  just  one  year  before  that  held  in  Princeton, 
during  the  sessions  of  which  the  Lord  permitted  him  to  enter 
upon  his  final  rest.  Many  of  us  never  expected  another 
opportunity  of  looking  upon  his  beloved  face,  or  listening  to 
his  cheering  and  animating  voice. 

"  A  few  months  before,  he  had  spent  a  Sabbath  with  my 
people,  and  preached  a  sermon  to  youth,  which  is  still  re^ 
membered  and  spoken  of  with  the  deepest  interest.  We 
then  considered  it  doubtful  whether  he  should  be  able  to 
attend  the  meeting  of  Synod.     Still  on  the  appointed  day  he 


ELIZABETHTOVVN.  43J 

was  here,  and  app(*ared  to  be  in  quite  good  health  and  spirits, 
On  both  these  occasions  he  was  an  inmate  of  my  family,  and 
had  I  leisure,  I  should  love  to  speak  of  his  pleasant  inter- 
course with  us,  and  especially  of  the  calm,  earnest,  and  com- 
prehensive pra3^ers  he  offered  for  me  and  mine.  His  presence 
seemed  to  make  our  house  like  ^  a  field  which  the  Lord  has 
blessed/  As  the  meetings  of  Synod  were  progressing,  I  in- 
vited a  number  of  his  former  students  to  meet  him  at  my 
table.  We  enjoyed  these  interviews,  and  he  evidently  en- 
joyed them  too.  Now  and  then  he  indulged  a  little  in  the 
quiet  humour  which  always  distinguished  him,  and  which 
added  zest  and  life  to  his  conversation.  But  every  thing  was 
seasoned  with  grace. 

"  It  was,  however,  of  his  appearance  in  the  Synod  that 
I  intended  chiefly  to  speak.  There  he  was  the  same  wise, 
kind,  unobtrusive  man  he  ever  was  in  such  bodies,  neither 
putting  himself  forward  to  mingle  in  every  little  debate,  nor 
declining  to  give  his  opinion  when  the  nature  of  the  business 
required  it.  I  have  often  admired  his  conduct  in  this  re- 
spect, and  could  wish  it  had  more  imitators.  Dr.  Alexander 
was  not  one  of  those  who  conclude  that  nothing  is  well  done 
wliich  they  have  not  had  the  shaping  of 

"  You  know  it  is  the  custom  of  our  Synod  to  devote  one 
evening  to  public  prayer  and  exhortation  ;  and  I  was  ver} 
desirous  that  your  father  should  make  one  of  the  addresses. 
Accordingly  as  Chainnan  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements, 
I  mentioned  the  matter  to  him.  At  first  he  said,  ^  I  am  too 
old,  you  must  select  some  other  person.'  I  replied — '  You  see, 
sir,  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  ministers  of  the  Synod 


482  LAST    SYNOD. 

have  been  your  pui)Ils,  and  this  may  be  the  last  time  thai 
they  will  ever  have  the  privilege  of  listening  to  yom*  voice/ 
He  seemed  struck  with  the  suggestion,  but  said  nothing 
farther.  In  the  evening  he  made  his  address,  and  though  he 
seemed  feeble  at  first,  his  words  had  the  same  life  and  power 
with  those  which  we  had  often  heard  in  his  earlier  days.  It 
was  such  a  strain  of  affectionate  counsel  as  only  a  man  like 
him  could  give.  He  commenced  with  a  reference  to  the  fact, 
that  he  found  himself  standing  in  the  presence  of  many  who 
had  once  been  his  beloved  pupils  ;  and  as  he  went  on  to 
urge  us  to  quit  ourselves  like  men,  for  God,  and  the  great 
interests  of  his  kingdom,  he  appeared  to  be  talking  to  us  as 
from  the  very  gates  of  the  celestial  city.  It  is  scarcely  too 
much  to  say,  that  we  beheld  his  face  as  if  it  had  been  the 
face  of  an  angel.  His  heart  was  melted,  and  our  hearts  were 
melted  likewise. 

"  Even  maldng  some  abatement  for  the  mingled  feelings 
of  veneration  and  love  with  which  we  regarded  him,  I  must 
say,  it  was  one  of  his  very  best  efforts.  He  felt  evidently 
that  it  was  the  last  time.  Every  thing  in  his  manner,  hia 
looks,  and  the  tones  of  his  voice,  as  well  as  in  the  words  he 
uttered,  indicated  that  he  stood  on  the  very  verge  of  heaven, 
and  was  fully  ready  to  say,  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  1 
have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith  ;  henceforth 
there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord  the  righteous  Judge  shall  give  me  at  that  day.  And 
it  was  the  last  time.     Most  of  us  saw  his  face  no  moie. 

"  Great  and  good  man  !  May  his  mantle,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  beloved  Miller,  fall  on  all  our  rising  ministry  !  Then 


LAST    SERMON   ABROAD.  483 

would  Zion  arise  and  shine,  her  hght  being  come,  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  risen  upon  her. 

"  Very  truly  and  affectionately  yours, 

"David  Magie/' 

The  other  visit  was  to  the  church  in  South  Trenton, 
which  he  had  regarded  with  much  interest,  as  the  pastor  had 
been  one  of  his  pupils.  From  this  friend  we  have  derived 
the  statement  which  follows.  It  was  a  beautiful  summer 
day,  July  27,  1851,  and  a  communion  Sabbath.  As  the 
church-edifice  was  incomplete,  the  services  took  place  in  the 
Mercer  Court  House.  Dr.  Alexander  preached  on  that  oc- 
casion to  the  edification  and  delight  of  all  who  heard  him, 
and  also  rendered  most  valuable  assistance  at  the  table.  He 
was  apprehensive  lest  he  might  be  seized  with  a  faintness,  to 
which  he  had  been  subject  at  times,  but  nothing  of  the  kind 
occurred.  The  sermon  was  rich  in  Bible  truth  and  Christian 
experience,  and  in  manner  he  was  more  than  usually  ani- 
mated, solemn  and  impressive,  to  the  very  close.  In  the 
afternoon  he  made  an  address  to  the  Sabbath  School.  The 
room  was  crowded  almost  to  suffocation.  His  venerable  ap- 
pearance, penetrating  eye,  silvery  locks  and  tremulous  voice, 
all  had  a  tendency  to  increase  the  interest  which  all  present, 
from  the  oldest  to  the  youngest,  felt  in  the  distinguished 
speaker,  as  in  a  serious  but  familiar  manner  he  commenced 
by  saying  :  "In  a  hundred  years,  every  one  who  hears  me 

now  will  be  in  heaven  or  in  hell  ! This  is  the  last 

time  I  expect  to  address  you.     You  will  probably  never  see 
me  again.     But  you  will  remember  what  I  tell  you  long  after 


484  LAST    ADDRESS   TO    CHILDREN. 

I  am  (lead  and  gone.  You  will  remember  that  an  old  man 
addressed  you  on  this  occasion.  When  a  little  boy,  only  five 
or  six  years  old.  I  remember  hearing  an  old  man  preach  the 
Gospel,  just  as  you  hear  me  now.  I  remember  how  gray  his 
hair  was,  and  how  old  he  looked,  and  how  he  was  dressed. 
And  I  never  can  forget  the  text  that  he  preached  from.  It 
was  these  words  :  ^  If  any  man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  let  him  be  anathema  maranatlia!  I  did  not  then 
know  the  meaning  of  these  hard  words,  but  the  minister  went 
on  to  exi)lciin  them,  and  said  that  if  we  did  not  love  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  should  all  be  accursed  of  God  and  de- 
voted to  destruction.  And  this  I  repeat  in  your  hearing 
this  day,  my  young  friends.  If  you  do  not  love  the  Saviour 
you  will  be  destroyed.  You  can  never  enjoy  his  favour  and 
blessing  unless  you  love  him  with  all  your  hearts,  and  do 
whatsoever  he  has  commanded  you.  Remember  it  is  an  old 
man  that  tells  you  so — on  the  authority  of  the  Word  of 
God.  When  you  go  home,  write  it  down  that  on  this,  July 
27,  A.  D.  1851,  Dr.  Alexander,  an  old  man,  addressed  the 
Sunday  School,  and  said,  '  If  any  man  love  not  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  anathema  maranatha.'  Remember 
it  is  an  old  man  that  tells  you  so.'  These  are  a  few  of  the 
words,  and  a  very  imperfect  sketch  at  best  of  what  fell  from 
his  lips  on  that  occasion,  which  can  never  be  forgotten  by 
the  hundreds  of  children  and  youth,  together  with  their 
teachers,  who  heard  him.  Even  the  youngest  child  had  its 
eyes  fastened  on  him  to  the  last,  drinking  in  the  words  which 
he  spake,  while  all  listened  with  breathless  attention  to  this 
farewell  address. 


TRAITS   OF    OLD    AGE.  435 

"  This  I  believe  was  the  last  time  this  venerable  man  evei 
preached  the  Gospel  out  of  Princeton,  and  it  was  a  good 
day's  work.  How  faithfully  that  work  was  performed,  how 
full  of  holy  zeal  for  his  Master  and  of  love  to  the  souls  of 
his  fellow-men,  there  are  multitudes  of  living  w^itnesses  in  our 
midst  who  can  testify,  some  of  whom  we  humbly  hope  shall 
rise  up  in  the  judgment  and  call  him  blessed." 

Our  labours  concerning  the  events  of  Dr.  Alexander's 
active  life  are  now  brought  to  a  close.  But  before  we  ap- 
proach the  scenes  of  the  termination,  it  may  be  allowed  us 
to  recur  for  a  little  to  the  general  aspect  of  his  declining 
years.  In  person  he  was  certainly  much  changed,  but  not 
in  the  way  which  gives  painful  indication  of  infirmity.  As 
we  have  found  him  repeatedly  saying  in  his  letters,  he  was 
enjoying  the  sense  of  health,  more  than  in  his  years  of  prime. 
His  body  was  fuller,  and  his  eye  had  not  waxed  dim.  When 
he  chose  it,  which  was  rarely,  he  was  competent  to  extra- 
ordinary exertion.  His  hearing  was  acute  to  the  last,  and 
with  the  aid  of  glasses  he  used  his  sight  without  complaint. 
His  love  of  children,  of  family  chat,  of  visits  from  friends, 
of  psalmody,  and  of  the  daily  journals,  was  undiminished. 
As  he  walked  home  from  an  evening  service,  he  said  to  one 
of  his  family,  whom  he  almost  outstripped  in  the  rapidity  of 
his  step,  "  I  begin  to  think  there  is  a  literality  in  tliat  say- 
ing of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  xl.  30,  '  But  the}^  that  wait  on 
the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength.'  "  On  the  day  of  his  en- 
tering his  seventy-eighth  year,  he  visited  the  house  of  his  eldest 
son,  played  gaily  with  the  children,  and  seemed  as  alert  and 
keen  as  in  his  best  days.     His  attention  to  his  grandchildren 


486  HAPPY    DECLINE. 

was  remarivablo.  They  clambered  upon  his  knee  as  freely 
as  their  parents  had  done  before  them,  were  instructed  by 
his  dra^vings  and  his  tales,  and  seemed  to  give  him  un- 
mingled  delight.  He  often  prayed  over  them,  laying  on 
them  his  hands  in  benediction. 

It  was  almost  a  daily  remark  in  the  house,  that  these 
were  his  best  days,  even  in  natural  things,  and  that  he 
never  had  so  vivid  an  enjoyment  of  life.  Such  was  his  own 
delightful  admission.  "  Old  age,"  said  he,  "  is  not  an  un- 
pleasant part  of  life,  where  health  and  piety  are  possessed."* 
A  host  of  physical  evils  which  had  beset  him  in  earlier  days, 
had  now  been  mercifully  removed.  His  simple  nourishment 
was  enjoyed  without  rule  or  scruple,  and  the  morbid  vigils 
which  once  distressed  him  gave  place  to  balmy  sleep.  It 
was  apparent  to  every  one  that  he  was  in  higher  spirits,  even 
if  sometimes  his  alternations  of  depressed  feeling  would  re- 
turn. Occasionally  he  would  break  out  in  conversation  wdth 
all  the  exuberance  and  glee  of  his  youth ;  but  the  charac- 
teristic of  his  temper  was  a  benignant  serenity.  From  our 
earliest  recollections,  he  had  been  accustomed  to  sit  and 
muse  in  the  evening  twilight,  often  prolonging  these  hours 
far  beyond  the  time  when  lights  are  usually  demanded. 
These  moments,  though  solemn,  appeared  to  be  pleasurable. 
In  these  he  pursued  his  most  fruitful  trains  of  thought. 
As  he  grew  older,  this  solitary  exercise  was  more  frequent 
and  protracted  ;  and  in  no  instance  did  it  seem  to  merge 
into  any  thing  like  slumber.  It  was  a  period  to  be  grate- 
fully remembered,  as  one  of  singular  peace. 

*  Letter  to  Mrs.  Graham,  August  15,  1850. 


PERSISTENT    LABOUR.  43'7 

From  what  has  been  extracted  from  his  correspondence, 
it  may  be  gathered  that  he  was  continually  meditating  on 
his  approaching  departure  ;  but  this  gave  no  sombre  colour- 
ing to  his  manner  or  his  words.  Though  he  never  spoke, 
except  by  incidental  allusion,  of  his  personal  experience,  it 
was  too  evident  to  admit  of  doubt,  that  his  countenance  was 
often  radiant  with  uncommon  spiritual  joys.  It  broke  out  in 
his  family  prayers,  in  his  singing  of  psalms  and  hymns, 
which  he  continued  in  the  domestic  service  till  the  very  last, 
and  especially  in  his  sermons  and  addresses  at  the  Lord's 
Table. 

Old  age  never  seemed  to  occur  to  him  as  affording  a  mo- 
tive to  relax  in  labour.  His  principle  was,  that  the  faculties 
were  to  be  kept  in  vigour  by  perpetual  use.  The  same  had 
once  been  expressed  to  him  by  his  friend  Dr.  Eice  :  "As  far 
as  my  observation  goes,  there  are  two  errors  to  which  aged 
men  are  exposed.  One  is,  of  holding  on,  and  refusing  to 
admit  that  they  are  old.  We  have  seen  some  instances  of 
this.  The  other  is  precisely  opposite.  It  is  allowing  them- 
selves to  grow  prematurely  old.  Failing  to  exercise  their 
faculties,  they  become  rusty  and  move  like  an  old  door  whose 
hinges  are  never  oiled.  I  have  no  doubt  about  the  fact,  that 
when  the  organs  through  which  the  mind  acts,  fail,  mental 
imbecility  ensues.  But  I  am  equally  certain,  that  ceasino; 
to  exert  our  faculties  greatly  impairs  their  strength.  And  I 
am  convinced  that  when  a  man,  whose  life  has  been  very  ac- 
tive, retires,  he  very  soon  sinks  into  second  childhood."''"' 
The  opinion  here  advanced  was^ne  which  Dr.  Alexander 
cherished,  often  uttered,  and  persistently  acted  on  ;  with  an 

*  Letter  of  Dr.  John  H.  Rice,  January  8,  1830. 


-tS8  RESOLUTION. 

entire  success  which  seems  to  us  instructive.  His  own  words 
express  somewhat  characteristically  the  temper  of  his  mind 
in  regard  to  public  duty ;  it  was  only  a  few  months  before 
his  death,  that  he  thus  wrote. 

DR.    ALEXANDER    TO    THE    REV.    DR.    PLUMER. 

"Princetox,  April  16,  1851. 
"  EeVEREND   and    DEAR    SiR  : 

"  To  relieve  your  mind -from  all  uneasiness  respect- 
ing the  expression  in  my  letter,  about  not  ^  continuing  much 
longer  to  be  a  professor,'  I  would  inform  you,  that  on  this 
day  week  I  expect  to  enter  on  my  eightieth  year ;  and  of 
course  I  cannot  expect  to  '  continue  here  much  longer."  I 
have  no  intention  of  resigning,  while  my  health  is  good,  and 
my  mind  sound.  If  I  should  be  seized  with  paralysis,  or 
some  other  disease  which  would  entirely  disqualify  me  for 
performing  the  duties  of  my  office,  I  might  deem  it  expe- 
dient to  resign  ;  but  it  is  my  general  purpose  and  hope,  to 
die  in  the  harness.  My  health  and  spirits  were  never  better 
than  at  present ;  although  the  excitability  of  my  nervous 
system  occasions  seasons  of  depression  and  uneasy  feeling, 
from  the  physical  state.  All  I  want  is  a  stronger  faith. 
This  I  hope  I  shall  receive  in  the  hour  of  need,  in  answer  to 
many  prayers.  And  you  could  not  gratify  me  more  than  by 
your  declared  purpose  to  remember  me  in  your  prayers. 

"  With  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  Plumer  and  your  daughters, 
I  remain  very  truly  yours,  &c. 

•  "A.  A." 


EMPLOYMENTS.  489 

During  this  time  he  very  much  ceased  to  go  Jtbroad,  and. 
confined  himself  most  of  the  day  to  his  study.  Here,  how- 
ever, he  was  to  be  found  neither  idle  nor  resting,  but 
generally  engaged  in  study,  and  to  an  extraordinary  extent 
in  writing.  There  was  scarcely  a  new  woik  of  interest  in 
any  of  his  chosen  departments,  which  he  did  not  peruse. 
There  was  no  person  of  our  acquaintance  who  kept  himself 
more  abreast  of  the  literature  which  regards  the  Millennarian 
and  the  Geological  controversies.  On  all  such  topics  his  con- 
versation was  as  flowing  and  as  judicious  as  in  former  days. 
What  is  most  worthy  of  mention  is,  that  no  one  discovered 
or  suspected  the  slightest  decay  of  the  mental  powers.  On 
every  subject  to  which  he  applied  his  mind,  he  manifested 
not  only  soundness  but  quickness.  Though  he  sometimes 
complained  of  some  difficulty  in  remembering  names,  his 
friends  remarked  that  he  was  annoyed  by  the  same  many 
years  before.  It  was  observed  with  wonder  by  all  his  family, 
that  Providence  seemed  to  have  given  him  full  exemption 
from  the  common  weaknesses  of  old  age. 

At  the  stroke  of  the  bell,  he  might  be  seen  without  fail, 
issuing  from  his  study  door,  and  going  across  the  small  space 
which  divided  the  Seminary  from  his  grounds  ;  much  bent, 
and  with  eyes  turned  to  the  ground,  as  he  paced  slowly  on, 
wrapped  in  his  cloak  and  with  his  profuse  silver  locks  waving 
in  the  wind  ;  but  often,  as  if  at  some  sudden  dash  of 
thought,  he  would  quicken  his  steps  almost  to  running,  and 
ascend  the  threshold  with  alacrity.  This  was  a  peculiarity 
of  his  motion  all  his  life.  His  children  always  knew  his 
whereabout,  by  the  vivacity  of  his  changes,   and   used  to 


490  PUBLIC    SERVICES. 

say  jocosely  that  he  never  closed  or  opened  a  door  softly,  and 
always  ran  up  stairs.  With  his  manuscript  rolled  up  in  his 
hand,  he  took  the  chair,  and  after  a  short  and  pertinent 
prayer,  began  his  instructions.  They  were  always  such  as 
kept  his  pupils  in  wakeful  attention,  and  so  far  as  we  know 
were  not  less  acceptable  than  those  of  his  younger  life. 

It  has  been  said  that  he  continued  to  preach.  That  he 
should  have  done  this  with  so  much  pleasure  to  himself  and 
so  little  abatement  of  interest  in  his  audiences,  is  not  a  little 
surprising ;  especially  when  we  consider  the  bodily  changes 
which  he  had  sustained.  His  voice  remained  clear,  and 
though  tending  to  play  too  much  among  the  upper  notes  of 
the  register,  had  no  weakness  ;  and  notwithstanding  the 
total  loss  of  teeth  his  articulation  was  perfect.  He  read 
from  his  manuscript  more  than  in  his  middle  life  ;  but  often 
threw  in  new  matter,  and  almost  always  closed  with  an 
extemporaneous  application.  The  signal  for  this  was  the 
sudden  throwing  up  of  the  spectacles  upon  his  forehead  ;  and 
he  would  then  enchain  the  attention  and  control  the  feelings 
of  the  assembly  in  a  manner  which  sometimes  reminded  them 
of  his  best  efforts.  At  the  Sunday  afternoon  Conference,  he 
still  loved  to  indulge  his  talent  for  original  and  animated 
remark ;  we  suppose  there  was  no  one  of  his  intellectual 
efforts  which  abode  more  in  its  pristine  vigour. 

No  ol)8ervation  was  more  common  than  that  Br.  Alexan- 
der was  unlike  most  old  men,  in  his  tolerance  for  the  changes 
of  the  day.  If  a  new  scheme  of  any  promise  was  on  foot, 
he  was  really  more  inclined  to  listen  and  to  favour,  than 
most  younger  men.     The  passing;  events  of  the  neighbour- 


BENIGNITY,  491 

hood  and  the  country  awakened  his  inquisiiive  interest.  In 
this  he  has  strikingly  reminded  us  of  Chancellor  Kent.  One 
reason  for  this  was  his  persevering  habit  of  learning  all  that 
public  journals  could  convey.  Another  reason  may  be  found 
in  his  almost  total  exemption  from  what  may  be  called  the 
pride  of  years.  He  was  in  no  such  sense  a  laudator  tempo- 
ris  acti,  as  that  he  undervalued  or  disparaged  contemporary 
men  and  things.  We  have  no  recollection  of  ever  hearing 
him  hold  up  former  generations  of  ministers  as  models,  or 
lauding  the  works  and  methods  of  his  youth,  or  complaining 
of  deterioration  in  preaching.  He  was  sanguine  in  his  hopes 
for  both  Church  and  country,  and  favourable  even  to  a  fault 
in  regard  to  the  performances  of  junior  brethren.  Every  one 
was  welcome  to  his  door ;  and  many  are  the  instances  in 
which  he  has  spent  an  hour  in  lively  conversation  with  some 
itinerant  chapman  oi  agent,  whom  most  would  regard  as  a 
nuisance ;  but  from  whom  he  always  contrived  to  learn 
something. 

On  a  former  page  we  have  employed  a  word  which  was 
often  on  his  lips,  and  which  more  than  all  others  denotes  the 
blessedness  of  his  Christian  evening  ;  it  was  Peace.  Some- 
times it  seemed  to  be  ^  perfect  peace.'  No  cloud  is  known 
to  have  darkened  his  prospect  for  years,  in  regard  to  his  per- 
sonal acceptance  with  God.  And  though  his  prayers  and 
discourses  more  than  his  common  talk  were  the  vehicle  of 
his  joyful  thoughts,  it  was  a  pleasure  to  all  who  were  near 
him  to  observe  how  he  had  outlived  and  thrown  off  one  care 
and  anxiety  after  another,  until  he  stood  almost  inprocinctu, 
etript  and  ready,  for  the 'last  conflict.     This  was  not  the  less 


492  PEACE. 

edifying  or  delightful,  for  being  accompanied  with  a  serene 
and  healthful  interest  in  all  the  concerns  of  his  family  and 
his  calling  ;  and  it  seems  incredible  that  any  one  could  pass 
through  a  long  period  of  decline  with  less  burden  to  others 
or  less  exaction  from  them  on  the  score  of  infirmity  or  years. 
After  all,  we  feel  how  impossible  it  is  by  any  report  of  ours 
to  convey  an  adequate  impression  of  this  truly  happy  and 
beautiful  old  age. 


CHAPTER  EIGHTEENTH, 
1851. 

ILLNESS LAST   HOURS DEATH. 

IT  has  been  already  said  that  the  months  immediately  pre- 
ceding his  last  illness  were  marked  with  unusual  bodily 
comfort.  He  was  alert  and  cheerful,  and  said  that  he  never 
felt  better.  The  last  sermon  that  he  ever  preached  was  de- 
livered to  the  students  in  the  Seminary  Chapel,  on  the  7th  of 
September,  from  the  words,  Isaiah  54  :  13,  "All  thy  children 
shall  be  taught  of  God."  The  Lord's  Supper  was  adminis- 
tered in  the  First  Church  of  Princeton  on  the  14th  of  Sep- 
tember ;  on  which  occasion  he  made  an  address  to  the  com- 
municants. This  was  his  last  public  service.  In  the  after- 
noon he  was  present  at  the  Conference  in  the  Seminary.  The. 
subject  treated  was  the  Sacraments,  considered  as  Means  of 
Grace.  Feeling  slightly  indisposed  he  at  first  declined  to 
offer  any  remarks  ;  but  after  Dr.  Hodge  had  spoken,  he  added 
a  few  words.  The  summer  heat  of  that  year  was  remark- 
ably extended  into  the  month  of  September,  and,  in  his  own 
apprehension,  predisposed  him  to  disease. 


494  .  ILLNESS. 

About  the  18th  of  September  he  began  to  be  more  indis- 
posed, but  for  a  number  of  days  only  in  a  slight  degree  ;  and 
he  continued  to  attend  his  classes.  On  Sunday,  the  21st,  he 
would  have  gone  to  the  regular  service  in  the  Chapel,  but 
was  dissuaded  from  it  by  his  family.  He  seemed  exceeding- 
ly reluctant  to  omit  his  lectures,  and  even  after  becoming  too 
unwell  to  leave  the  house,  dictated  the  syllabus  of  a  lecture 
on  Mental  Philosophy. 

About  a  week  after  his  seizure  he  had  an  interview  -svith 
Professor  Hodge,  from  whose  notes  we  are  permitted  to  make 
an  extract,  preferring  his  simple  statement  to  any  prepared 
report.  "  On  going  over,"  says  Dr.  Hodge,  ^'  I  found  him 
reclining,  in  his  ordinary  dress,  upon  a  sofa  in  the  study. 
As  I  entered  the  room,  he  reached  out  his  hand  to  me,  and 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life  called  me  his  dear  son  ;  and  said 
he  had  a  few  things  to  communicate,  to  which  he  did  not 
wish  me  to  make  any  reply.  He  said  that  his  impression  as 
to  his  situation  was  different  from  that  of  his  family.  They 
thought  he  was  getting  well  ;  he  was  sure  he  w^as  going  to 
die.  His  increasing  weakness,  and  the  entire  loss  of  appetite 
convinced  him  that  he  could  not  recover.  After  much  re- 
flection, he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  there  never  was 
a  time  in  which  it  would  be  or  could  be  better  for  him  to 
leave  the  world.  He  never  had  felt  that  his  work  was  done 
before  now.  He  had  accomplished  every  thing  lie  could  for 
his  ftxmily,  and  thought  he  could  no  longer  be  of  service  to 
the  Seminary,  and  he  therefore  considered  that  it  was  desi- 
rable he  should  not  recover.  He  said,  he  spoke  thus  not 
from  any  bright  views  of  the  future,  which  he  had  not,  but 


INTERVIEW   WITH    DR.    HpDGE.  495 

from  the  convictions  of  his  understanding.  He  had  nevet 
known  any  man  after  eighty  years  of  age  to  be  useful,  and  he 
did  not  wish  to  drag  on  a  few  more  years  a  burden  to  him- 
self or  others.  His  views  of  divine  truth,  he  said,  remained 
the  same  ;  and  as  to  comfort  and  support  in  dying,  he  had 
as  much  reason  to  expect  them  now  as  ever.  He  added, 
^Now,  my  dear  son,  farewell — you  will  never  see  me  again.' 
He  told  me  to  make  a  short  prayer — ^which  I  did,  he  adding 
Amen — with  peculiar  emphasis. 

"As  I  was  about  to  withdraw,  he  said — ^  Yes  !  I  must 
see  you  again,  as  I  have  some  things  to  say  about  the  Semi- 
naiy.' 

"  October  15th. — Dr.  Alexander  sent  for  me  again.  He 
was  still  in  his  study.  He  gave  me  his  account-book  of  the 
scholarships  and  explained  to  me  what  he  wished  done  in 
reference  to  that  matter.  He  was  more  cheerful  than  when 
I  last  saw  him.  Spoke  of  his  dissolution  as  certainly  near 
at  hand,  and  gave  general  directions  about  his  funeral." 

The  disease,  which  took  the  form  of  a  diarrhoea,  now  in- 
creased, so  that  he  had  no  rest  day  or  night.  In  the 
morning,  instead  of  being  refreshed  he  was  quite  exhausted. 
But  until  a  week  before  his  death,  he  came  down  regularly 
to  his  study,  as  early  as  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  lay 
upon  the  sofa  until  bedtime.  During  the  latter  part  of  this 
time,  however,  he  required  the  assistance  of  an  arm  to  lean 
upon.  For  the  last  week  of  his  thus  coming  down  he  seemed 
better  ;  the  disease  was  somewhat  checked,  he  was  driven  out 
occasionally,  and  continued  to  walk  into  another  room,  where 
lie  listened  to  the  newspapers  and  other  reading,  and  seemed 


496  JNCREASED   ILLNESS. 

much  interested  in  all  that  was  going  on.  The  only  dis« 
tressing  symptom  was  a  total  loss  of  appetite,  whicli  all 
around  him  tried  in  vain  to  tempt. 

While  his  family  were  all  hoping  with  much  cheerfulness, 
his  own  judgment  of  his  case  never  wavered.  He  declared 
that  his  stomach  had  lost  all  tone,  and  that  he  should  grad- 
ually sink.  In  remembering  the  perfect  calmness  with  which 
he  contemplated  every  symptom,  his  friends  now  wonder  that 
they  were  not  more  alarmed ;  for  in  his  previous  slight  ail- 
ments he  had  usually  been  much  discouraged.  But  his  com- 
posure in  speaking  of  his  approaching  dissolution  tended  to 
dispel  all  serious  apprehensions  of  the  result.  When  any 
new  article  was  prepared  for  him  by  his  loving  family  or  sent 
in  by  kind  friends,  he  would  say  with  the  utmost  cheerful- 
ness, "My  stomach  has  lost  its  power,  and  cannot  react." 
From  the  very  first,  it  is  obvious  that  he  had  a  clear  under- 
standing of  his  case,  such  as  precluded  all  expectation  of 
recovery. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  for  the  first  time,  his  family 
were  compelled  to  give  up  all  hope  of  his  amendment.  The 
change  on  that  day  was  marked  and  sudden.  He  had 
walked  down  as  usual  to  the  study,  with  the  assistance  of 
his  beloved  daughter,  but  was  evidently  weakened  by  the 
efibrt.  During  the  day  his  debility  increased  so  much  that 
when  night  came  he  was  utterly  unable  to  walk.  He  was  very 
desirous  of  being  taken  to  his  chamber,  from  which  he  said 
he  should  never  descend  alive.  Accordingly,  by  the  kind  aid 
of  Mr.  Cleghorn  of  the  Seminary  and  a  few  other  persons, 
he  was  carried  up  stairs  and  laid  upon  his  bed.     It  is  propei 


INTERVIEW   WITH    SON.  497 

to  say  that  the  day  before,  his  eldest  son,  who  had  been  aT>- 
sent  in  Europe,  was  permitted  to  meet  him.  He  was  lying 
on  the  sofa,  much  emaciated,  but  with  a  countenance  stri- 
kingly like  that  of  thirty  years  before.  Taking  his  son  by  the 
hand,  he  gave  thanks  to  Grod  for  having  preserved  him,  and 
for  allowing  this  interview,  which  he  had  greatly  desired. 
He  then  proceeded  to  give  a  number  of  directions  and  orders, 
with  perfect  composure  and  the  deliberation  of  one  who 
utters  a  series  of  charges  from  a  memorandum.  There  was 
an  air  of  unearthly  authority  which  we  remember  with  awe. 
He  said  that  his  end  was  approaching,  and  that  all  arrange- 
ments had  been  completed  for  the  comfort  and  sustenance 
of  his  family.  To  this  son  he  then  gave  the  Hebrew  Bible 
which  had  been  his  daily  companion  for  forty  years.  He 
designated  for  his  eldest  grandson  the  fine  Clarendon  Cicero, 
in  ten  quarto  volumes,  and  caused  us  for  the  second  boy  to 
choose  between  Hesychius  and  Burmann's  quarto  Quintilian. 
He  had  previously  pointed  out  for  little  William  Alexander, 
one  of  his  grandchildren,  the  walking-stick  which  he  had 
long  used.  These  things  were  done  with  all  the  calmness  and 
cheerfulness  of  his  most  untroubled  days.  He  proceeded  to 
name  two  of  his  sons,  who  should  have  the  entire  control  of 
his  manuscripts,  and  of  any  notice  that  might  be  published 
of  his  life.  He  said  that  his  treatise  on  Moral  Science  was 
in  his  judgment  the  most  worthy  of  being  edited.  After 
having  thus  settled  his  last  worldly  affairs,  he  proceeded  to 
talk  freely  about  the  work  of  God  in  the  Reformed  Churches 
abroad^  and  when  his  strength  was  exhausted,  dismissed  his 
sou.     In  all  that  he  uttered  he  was  clear,  succinct,  and  de- 


498  INTERVIEW   WITH    DR.    HODGE. 

cided,  speaking  with  a  mien  which  carried  something  of 
command.  The  writer  of  these  pages  may  be  allowed  tc 
record  his  heartfelt  thanks  to  God,  for  the  privilege  of  thus 
beholding  once  more  the  face  of  an  honoured  father. 

During  his  illness  he  dictated  a  paper  to  be  taken  round 
for  subscriptions  towards  the  relief  of  a  young  man  whose 
studies  had  been  interrupted  by  disease.  Only  two  or  three 
days  before  his  death  he  spoke  of  a  clergyman  whom  he  had 
met  on  the  railroad  some  time  before,  and  to  whom  he  was 
very  anxious  to  send  some  books.  The  name  of  this  stranger 
had  escaped  his  memory,  though  he  remembered  the  county 
and  presbytery  somewhere  near  Buffalo. 

On  the  16th,  already  mentioned  as  his  last  day  below 
stairs,  he  gave  his  last  directions  to  his  beloved  wife  and  to 
his  children.  On  the  same  day  he  had  a  last  interview  with 
his  cherished  colleague  and  friend  Dr.  Hodge,  whose  memo- 
randum we  will  not  mar  by  abridgment  or  change. 

"  Oct.  17.  Saw  Dr.  Alexander  for  the  last  time.  He 
was  upstairs  in  bed.  He  said  he  had  sent  for  me  to  speak 
about  his  funeral.  He  said  as  Dr.  John  McDowell  had  from 
the  beginning  been  a  Director  of  the  Seminary,  and  was  one 
of  its  best  friends,  he  thought  him  the  proper  person  to 
preach  on  the  occasion.  He  commissioned  me  to  make  the 
request  as  from  him,  with  •  the  injunction  not  to  utter  one 
word  of  eulogy.  '  We  cannot,'  he  added,  ^  prevent  people 
from  talking  about  us,  but  I  do  not  wish  any  delineation  of 
character  attempted,  nor  anv  praise.'  He  then,  wdth  a 
smile,  handed  me  a  white  bone  walking-stick,  carved  and 
presented  to  him  by  one  of  the  chiefs   of  the    Sandwich 


INTERVIEW   WITH   Mil.    SCHENCK.  499 

Islands,  and  said,  ^  You  must  leave  this  to  your  successor  in 
office,  that  it  may  be  handed  down  as  a  kind  of  symbol  of 
orthodoxy/ 

"  The  students  of  the  Seminary  had  set  apart  this  day 
as  a  season  of  fasting  and  prayer.  When  he  was  informed 
of  this  he  said,  '  Give  them  my  blessing  ;  but  tell  them  not 
to  pray  for  my  recovery,  which  is  now  out  of  the  question.' 
I  never  saw  him  more  himself — more  cheerful — almost  play- 
ful. There  seemed  in  his  case  to  be  no  difference  between 
faith  and  sight.  He  spoke  of  this  world  and  of  the  next  in 
the  same  tone  of  cheerful  assurance,  passing  from  one  topic 
to  the  other  without  the  least  change  of  manner.  There 
was  no  excitement  nor  tension  of  feeling,  but  the  most  per- 
fect simplicity.  I  never  saw  and  never  imagined  a  death- 
bed where  there  was  so  little  of  death.  It  seemed  to  him 
as  an  ordinary  matter,  and  he  spoke  of  dying  with  the  same 
natural  cheerfulness,  with  which  he  would  have  spoken  of 
going  from  one  room  to  another.  Indeed  his  chamber  was 
the  most  cheerful  room  in  the  house." 

Either  on  this  day  or  the  preceding,  he  had  an  interview 
with  the  Eev.  William  E.  Schenck,  pastor  of  the  First 
Church,  a  gentleman  for  whom  he  had  always  cherished 
much  affection.  From  minutes  of  Mr.  Schenck,  intended 
solely  for  his  own  eye,  we  make  the  following  extracts. 

"  It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  Thursday  preceding  Dr. 
Alexander's  death,  that  I  called  to  inquire  after  his  health. 
My  inquiries  having  been  answered  at  the  door  I  was  about 
to  leave,  when  I  was  called  back  by  one  of  his  sons,  who  said 
that  his  father  had  heard  I  was  at  the  door  and  desired  to  see 


500  APPROACH  OF  DEATH. 

me.  As  I  entered  the  study  he  was  lying  on  the  sofa  in  his 
usual  dress,  but  supported  by  pillows.  He  extended  his  hand 
in  a  very  cordial  manner  ;  on  taking  it  I  found  it  icy  cold. 
He  at  once  said  to  me  in  a  very  warm  and  tender  tone,  '  My 
dear  young  friend,  I  have  nmch  desired  to  see  you  once 
more,  and  am  glad  to  have  this  opportunity.  I  wish  to  bid 
you  farewell.     You  will  see  me  no  more  in  this  life.' 

"  I  was  so  greatly  overcome  by  this  address  that  I  hardly 
knew  what  to  rej)ly.  I  merely  said,  ^  I  trust  and  most  ear- 
nestly hope,  dear  sir,  that  you  may  yet  be  mistaken.  Should 
it  be  so,  we  are  confident  it  would  be  your  inexpressible  gain ; 
but  it  would  be  a  sorrowful  day  indeed  for  all  of  us  that 
should  survive ' 

" '  I  feel  confident,'  said  he,  ^  that  I  am  not  mistaken.  1 
shall  not  live  long.  Nor  have  I  any  wish  to  stay  longer.  I 
have  lived  eighty  years,  which  is  more  than  the  usual  term 
of  human  life,  and  if  I  remain,  I  have  little  to  look  forward 
to,  but  infirmity  and  suffering.  If  such  be  the  Loixi's 
will,  I  feel  thoroughly  satisfied,  and  even  would  prefer  to 
go  now.  My  work  on  earth,  I  feel,  is  done.  And  it 
does  seem  to  me  (he  added  with  great  earnestness),  as  if  my 
Heavenly  Father  had  in  great  mercy  surrounded  me  with 
almost  every  circumstance  which  could  remove  anxieties 
and  make  me  feel  that  I  can  go  without  regret.  My  afiuirs 
have  all  been  attended  to,  my  arrangements  are  all  com- 
pleted, and  I  can  think  of  nothing  more  to  be  done.  I  have 
i^reatly  desired  to  see  my  son  James  before  my  departure, 
and  sometimes  feared  I  should  not  have  that  privilege,  but 
the  Lord  has  graciously  brought  him  back  in  time  to  see  me. 


PERFECT   PEACE.  501 

having  led  him  safely  through  much  peril  on  the  ocean. 

My  children  are  all  with  me 

The  church  of  which  you  are  pastor  is  prosperous  and  flour- 
ishing. The  Seminary  Faculty  is  again  full,  and  the  Insti- 
tution in  an  excellent  condition.  The  more  I  reflect  upon 
the  matter,  the  more  all  things  seem  to  combine  to  make  me 
perfectly  willing  to  enter  into  my  rest.  The  Lord  has  very 
graciously  and  tenderly  led  me  (he  added,  closing  his  eyes 
and  clasping  his  hands  in  a  devotional  manner)  all  the  days 
of  my  life — yes,  all  the  days  of  my  life.  And  he  is  now 
witli  me  still.  In  Him  I  enjoy  perfect  peace.'  The  last  sen- 
tence he  uttered  in  a  quick,  earnest  and  happy  tone  of  voice, 
such  as  was  peculiar  to  him  in  certain  moods.  Pausing  a 
moment  or  two,  as  if  to  recover  breath,  he  then  said : 

"  ^  I  have  much  desired  to  see  you,  that  I  might  bid  you 
farewell,  and  once  more  invoke  God's  blessing  upon  you  and 
your  ministry.  You  have  had  a  strong  hold  on  my  afl^ec- 
tions,  and  I  have  felt  much  satisfaction  in  your  preaching. 
Continue  as  you  have  begun,  and  have  done  thus  far,  to 
preach  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  scripturally,  plainly,  earnest- 
ly, and  God  will  continue  richly  to  bless  your  ministry,  even 
as  he  has  here  so  lately  done.  He  lifted  his  hands,  as  if  to 
pronounce  a  benediction.  I  fell  on  my  knees,  beside  the 
sofa,  with  my  head  bowed,  and  weeping  bitterly;  noser- 
theless  I  tided  hard  to  restrain  my  feelings,  while  with  his 
hands  extended  over  me,  he  ofl'ered  a  short  and  fervent 
prayer,  closing  with  these  words  :  ^  God  greatly  bless  his 
servant,  in  his  person,  in  his  family,  and  in  his  ministry. 
May  it  please  God  to  give  him  great  usefulness  and  success. 


502  REV.    MR.    SCHENCK. 

May  many  souls  be  saved  through  his  efforts  ;  and  when  his 
work  is  done,  may  we  be  permitted  to  meet  again  in  a  hap- 
pier world,  Amen.' 

"  As  I  arose  from  my  knees,  he  reached  out  his  hand  as 
if  to  bid  me  farewell. 

"  '  I  cannot  go  (said  I)  until  I  attempt  to  thank  you, 
which  I  do  with  my  whole  heart,  for  your  long  and  unvarying 
kindness  to  me.  You  have  been  to  me  the  best  and  most 
valued  of  earthly  friends.' 

"  '  You  must  thank  God  for  that,  (said  he  quickly.)  All 
kindness  and  all  friends  are  His  gifts.  Grive  my  love  to  your 
wife  and  children.' 

"  The  last  sentence  he  repeated  when  I  had  reached  the 
door,  and  very  slowly,  as  if  he  were  loath  to  have  me  leave 
him — 

"  '  Give  my  love  and  a  very  affectionate  farewell  to  your 
wife  and  to  your  dear  little  children.' 

"  As  I  walked  away  from  the  house  I  could  not  repress 
my  tears,  and  a  sense  of  utter  desolation  came  over  me  for 
a  little  while  as  I  thought  that  I  had  probably  taken  a  last 
view,  and  received  the  last  words  of  affectionate  counsel  from 
that  beloved  and  venerated  friend,  to  whom  I  have  been  ac- 
customed to  resort,  and  on  whose  counsels  I  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  rely  as  on  those  of  no  other  man  on  earth.  But 
soon  my  feelings  grew  calmer.  I  felt  that  I  had  been  breath- 
ing an  atmosphere  redolent  with  the  very  fragrance  of 
heaven.  The  room  that  I  had  left  seemed  to  have  been  per- 
fumed with  holy  composure  and  immovable  confidence  in  a 
glorified  but  present  Redeemer.     As  I  reflected  upon  the 


REVIVAL  OF  YOUTHFUL  SCENES.  503 

scene,  I  gained  new  views  of  life,  of  death,  and  of  Heaven. 
I  felt,  as  I  had  never  felt  before,  how  ^sure  and  steadfast'  is 
that  anchor  of  Gospel  hope  which  '  entereth  into  that  within 
the  veil/  I  could  not  help  asking  myself,  ^Is  it  possible 
to  die  so  ?  Does  the  Lord  Jesus  give  his  people  such  com- 
plete and  quiet  victories  over  the  grim  King  of  Terrors  ? ' 
There  was  nothing  excited,  nothing  exultant  ;  and  yet  it 
seemed  to  be  thoroughly  triumphant ;  a  calm,  beheving, 
cheerful  looking  through  the  gloomy  grave  into  the  glories  of 
the  eternal  world.  It  was  the  steady,  unfaltering  step  of  a 
genuine  Christian  philosopher  as  well  as  an  eminent  saint, 
evincing  his  own  thorough,  heartfelt,  and  practical  belief  in 
the  doctrines  he  had  so  long  and  so  ably  preached,  as  he 
descended  hour  by  hour  into  the  dark  valley  and  shadow  of 
death.  And  I  could  not  help  praying  as  I  had  never  prayed 
before,  ^  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my 
last  end  be  like  his.'  " 

In  his  illness  his  early  days  seemed  to  pass  before  him  in 
review.  The  anniversary  of  his  licensure,  sixt}  years  before, 
had  recently  occurred.  To  this  he  alluded  on  the  last  day 
that  he  sat  up,  recurring  to  his  unwillingness  to  be  licensed, 
and  his  dislike  to  the  text  assigned  to  him,  as  before  related. 
During  one  of  these  nights,  while  his  devoted  wife  was  watch- 
ing by  his  side,  he  broke  out  into  something  like  a  soliloquy, 
rehearsing  God's  gracious  dealings  with  his  soul.  There  was 
so  great  an  elevation  in  his  language,  that  Mrs.  Alexander 
was  unwilling  to  be  the  sole  witness,  and  called  in  their 
daughter.  He  recounted  the  particular  exercises  of  his  youth, 
and  especially  dwelt  on  that  scene  in  the  Bushy  Hills,  of 


504  DYING   EXPERIENCE. 

which  notice  has  been  taken  in  one  of  our  early  chapters. 
On  this  occasion,  more  than  any  other  in  his  illness,  his  views 
and  emotions  appeared  to  acquire  the  form  of  holy  rapture. 

Disease  was  now  rapidly  doing  its  work.  His  appetite 
was  gone.  Through  the  night  he  would  occasionally  take  a 
little  ice  or  a  spoonful  of  ice-cream.  There  was  something 
touching  in  the  value  which  he  set  on  the  most  ordinary  at- 
tentions. He  was  especially  thankful  that  our  dear  mother 
was  permitted  to  wait  on  him  to  the  last.  She  was  much 
attenuated  and  exhausted  by  solicitude  and  loss  of  sleep.  ar>d 
could  scarcely  have  held  out  many  days  longer  ;  yet  the  sup- 
port of  her  faith  and  patience  was  little  less  remarkable  than 
his  own.  When  approaching  his  end,  he  said  to  her  with 
great  tenderness,  "  My  dear,  one  of  my  last  prayers  will  be 
that  you  may  have  as  serene  and  painless  a  departure  as 
mine."  How  wonderfully  was  this  prayer  soon  to  be  an- 
swered !  He  said,  "  Now  I  understand,  as  I  never  did 
before,  what  is  meant  by  that  promise,  Psalm  xli.  3,  Thou 
wilt  make  all  his  bed  in  his  sickness.''  Before  this  time  he 
had  suffered  little  acute  pain,  but  his  disease  was  of  such  a 
nature  as  to  allow  him  no  rest.  Yet  no  word  of  complaint 
or  dissatisfaction  fell  from  his  lips.  He  often  said,  "  Why 
should  a  living  man  complain,  a  man  for  the  punishment  of 
his  sins  ?"  To  his  daughter,  who  was  leaving  him  in  the 
morning,  he  said,  "  You  have  bgen  a  watcher  indeed — ever 
on  the  alert." 

On  the  day  after  he  finally  went  to  his  bed,  he  gave  his 
last  directions  about  the  Seminary,  and  many  little  things 
which  were  on  his  niiiul.     He  seemed  to  forget  nothing,  but 


TRANQUIL   JOY.  505 

made  suggestions  even  to  the  last  of  matters  pertaining  to 
the  health  of  the  family.  On  Saturday,  Octoher  18th,  his 
weakness  was  extreme,  and  from  this  time  he  positively  re- 
fused to  take  any  anodyne.-  He  said  he  knew  that  death 
could  not  be  far  off,  and  he  wished  his  mind  to  be  entirely 
free  from  the  effects  of  stupefying  drugs.  During  the  night 
he  suffered  more  pain  than  at  any  time  previous,  but  in  the 
intervals  was  perfectly  calm  and  peaceful — more  than  peace- 
ful— he  seemed  as  happy  as  if  he  was  already  in  heaven,  and 
talked  without  intermission  in  the  most  delightful  way.  His 
discourse  was  much  about  dying,  and  he  expressed  a  wish 
that  he  might  pass  away  on  the  morrow,  which  was  the 
Lord's  Day  ;  but  added,  ^'  Just  as  God  sees  best."  When 
relieved  from  pain,  he  said  that  such  relief  was  often  to  be 
attributed  to  the  ministration  of  angels  ;  and  afterwards, 
"  They  are  always  around  the  dying  beds  of  God's  people." 
He  repeated  part  of  Watts's  hymn,  "  0  for  an  overcoming 
faith.  To  cheer  my  dying  hours."  He  spoke  of  the  precious- 
ness  of  the  word  on  which  God  had  caused  him  to  hope  ; 
"just  the  same  word,"  said  he,  "that  caused  me  to  hope 
so  many  years  ago,  when  I  was  in  such  distress  because  I 
thought  I  had  not  conviction  enough  ;  and  could  get  no 
comfort  till  a  good  minister  (the  Rev.  James  Mitchell)  told 
me  that  there  was  no  certain  degree  of  conviction  prescribed 
as  necessary  to  salvation  ;  and  it  was  by  hearing  this  again 
and  again  that  I  found  comfort."  All  this  with  a  serene  and 
heavenly  glow,  which  can  never  be  described. 

About  the  same  time  he  said  to  one  of  his  sons,  who  in- 
quired whether  he  was  at  peace  ;  "  0  yes  ! "  with  a  tone 


506  THE    LAST    SABBATH. 

which  implied,  "  How  could  you  doubt  it  ? "  Then  he 
added,  "  No  ecstacy — but  clear  faith.  I  have  been  reviewing 
the  plan  of  salvation  this  morning,  and  assuring  myself  that 
I  do  accept  it. — The  transition  to  a  state  so  unknown  is  cer- 
tainly awful ;  but  Christ  can  prevent  the  shock.  I  have 
never  been  afraid  to  die,  and  I  have  never  before  seen  a  time 
so  suitable  for  my  departure.  I  am  in  the  fortieth  year  of 
my  professorship.  I  have  seen  all  my  wishes  accomplished. 
God  has  answered  my  prayers,  even  in  averting  particular 
diseases  which  I  feared.  The  Seminary  has  never  been  in 
so  prosperous  a  state.  If  I  were  to  recover,  it  w^ould  be  for  no 
use  ;  I  have  seen  no  man  fit  for  much  after  eighty.  But  I 
shall  not  recover."  To  others  he  had  said,  ''  My  views  of 
theological  truth   are  what  they  have  always  been." 

On  Sunday  he  w^as  still  weaker,  and  said  that  he  could 
not  last  long  ;  but  his  mind  was  just  as  clear  as  ever.  He 
designated  a  passage  of  Scripture,  which  he  wished  to  hear 
read  by  one  of  his  children,  and  when  some  difficulty  oc- 
curred in  turning  to  it,  he  mentioned  the  beginning  of  the 
verse.  Who  shall  lay  any  tiling  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ? 
When  the  family  returned  from  church,  and  spoke  of  Dr. 
Hodge's  sermon,  he  was  much  interested,  and  said  with 
much  animation,  ^'  He  is  a  noble  man."  About  noon  a  very 
perceptible  sinking  took  place,  so  that  we  looked  every  mo- 
ment for  his  last  breath.  He  lay  quiet,  breathing  quick  but 
feebly,  and  with  his  eyes  closed.  During  Monday  the  20th, 
he  slumbered,  but  now  and  then  uttered  broken  expressions 
which  were  truly  characteristic  of  him  ;  such  as  "  We  must 
devise  something  for  them,"  "  Penitence   and  faith."     To- 


EUTHANASIA.  507 

wards  night  he  was  seized  with  a  hiccough,  which  con 
tinned  through  the  next  day  ;  yet  he  seem^ed  little  annoyed 
by  it.  His  voice  was  hardly  audible,  and  his  eyes  were  very 
dim.  On  the  morning  of  Tuesday  the  21st,  he  seemed 
somewhat  revived,  and  talked  a  little.  Though  he  had  some 
return  of  appetite,  he  was  averse  to  taking  food  ;  and  when 
the  physician  urged  it,  asked  if  it  was  to  strengthen  him, 
and  spoke  of  that  as  useless  and  absurd.  But  when  told 
that  it  was  only  for  his  temporary  comfort,  he  ;  <^sented.  His 
taste  seemed  as  acute  as  in  health,  and  he  ne^  er  had  greater 
quickness  of  hearing.  After  this  he  lay  in  the  same  tran- 
quil state,  though  perfectly  collected  in  reason,  growing 
weaker  and  weaker,  until  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  Wednesday,  October  22d,  he  ceased  to  breathe.  It  was 
observed  by  his  older  children  that  as  he  drew  near  to  death, 
his  countenance  assumed  more  and  more  the  look  which  he 
had  when  they  could  first  remember  him.  To  the  last  he 
was  exempt  from  the  marked  changes  of  appearance  which 
are  common  in  illness  ;  his  face  looked  comelier,  and  as  if 
chiseled  out  of  marble. 

The  event  was  the  more  impressive,  because  the  Synod 
of  New  Jersey  was  at  the  very  time  assembled  in  Princeton. 
To  this  he  made  frequent  allusion,  a  very  short  time  before 
his  death.  There  were  many  devotional  acts  held  .by  this 
body,  in  reference  to  the  illness  of  their  venerable  member. 
An  end  so  blessed,  so  edifying,  so  fitted  to  suggest  high 
thoughts  of  God's  covenant  faithfulness,  could  not  fail  to 
make  its  deep  impression  on  these  servants  of  Christ.  In 
looking  back  upon  the  scene,  we  find  nothing  absent,  which 


508  PRATER    OF    THE    DYING. 

he  could  have  desired.  It  was  a  comment  on  the  word& 
which  were  often  upon  his  lips,  Hoic  excellent  is  thy  loving 
kindness  !  It  was,  to  the  letter,  a  fulfilment  of  wishes  ex- 
pressed by  him  some  years  before,  in  the  following  devotional 
exercise,  which  he  doubtless  penned  with  reference  to  his 
own  case. 

"prayer  for  one  who  feels  that  he  is  approaching 
the  borders  of  another  world. 

"  0  most  merciful  God  !  I  rejoice  that  thou  dost  reign 
over  the  universe  with  a  sovereign  sway,  so  that  thou  dost 
according  to  thy  will,  in  the  armies  of  heaven  and  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  Thou  art  the  Maker  of  my 
body,  and  Father  of  my  spirit,  and  thou  hast  a  perfect  right 
to  dispose  of  me,  in  that  manner  which  will  most  effectually 
promote  thy  glory  :  and  I  know  whatever  thou  dost  is  right, 
and  wise,  and  just,  and  good.  And  whatever  may  be  my 
eternal  destiny,  I  rejoice  in  the  assurance  that  thy  great 
name  will  be  glorified  in  me.  But  as  thou  hast  been  pleased 
to  reveal  thy  mercy  and  thy  grace  to  our  fallen  miserable 
world  ;  and  as  the  word  of  this  salvation  has  been  preached 
unto  me,  inviting  me  to  accept  of  eternal  life,  upon  the  gra- 
cious terms  of  the  Gospel,  I  do  cordially  receive  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  as  my  Saviour  and  only  Redeemer,  believing 
sincerely  the  whole  testimony  which  thou  hast  given  respect- 
ing his  divine  character,  his  real  incarnation,  his  unspotted 
and  holy  life,  his  numerous  and  beneficent  miracles,  his  ex- 
piatory and  meritorious  death,  and  his  glorious  resurrection 


AN    ANSWERED   PRAYER.  509 

and  ascension.  I  believe,  also,  in  his  supreme  exaltation,  in 
his  prevalent  intercession  for  his  chosen  people,  in  his  affec- 
tionate care  and  aid  afforded  to  his  suffering  members  here 
below,  and  in  his  second  coming  to  receive  his  humble  fol- 
lowers to  dwell  with  himself  in  heaven  ;  and  to  take  ven- 
geance on  his  obstinate  enemies.  My  only  hope  and  confi- 
dence of  being  saved,  rests  simply  on  the  mediatorial  work 
and  prevailing  intercession  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  in 
consequence  of  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  graciously  sent  to 
make  application  of  Christ's  redemption,  by  working  faith  in 
us,  and  repentance  unto  life  :  and  rendering  us  meet  for  the 
heavenly  inheritance,  by  sanctifying  us  in  the  whole  man, 
soul,  body,  and  spirit.  Grant,  gracious  God  !  that  the  rich 
blessings  of  the  new  covenant  may  be  freely  bestowed  on  thy 
unworthy  servant.  I  acknowledge  that  I  have  no  claim  to 
thy  favour,  on  account  of  any  goodness  in  me  by  nature  ;  for 
alas  !  there  dwelleth  in  me,  that  is  in  my  flesh,  no  good 
thing  ;  nor  on  account  of  any  works  of  righteousness  done 
by  me  ;  for  all  our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags.  Neither 
am  I  able  to  make  atonement  for  any  one  of  my  innumerable 
transgressions  ;  which,  I  confess  before  thee,  are  not  only 
many  in  number,  but  heinous  in  their  nature,  justly  deserv- 
ing thy  displeasure  and  wrath  ;  so  that  if  I  were  immediately 
Bent  to  hell,  thou  wouldst  be  altogether  just  in  my  condem- 
nation. Although  I  trust  that  I  have  endeavoured  to  serve 
thee  with  some  degree  of  sincerity  ;  yet  whatever  good  thing 
I  have  ever  done,  or  even  thought,  I  ascribe  entirely  to  thy 
grace,  without  which  I  can  do  nothing  acceptable  in  thy 
eight.     And  I  am  deeply  convinced,  that  my  best  duties 


510  PRAYER  ANSWERED  IN  DEATE. 

have  fallen  far  short  of  the  perfection  of  thy  law,  and  have 
been  so  mingled  with  sin  in  the  performance,  that  I  might 
justly  be  condemned  for  the  most  fervent  prayer  I  ever  made. 
And  I  would  confess  with  shame  and  contrition,  that  I  am 
not  only  chargeable  with  sin  in  the  act,  but  that  there  is  a 
law  in  my  members,  warring  against  the  law  of  my  mind, 
aiming  to  bring  me  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin  and 
death.  This  corrupt  nature  is  the  source  of  innumerable 
evil  thoughts  and  desires,  damps  the  exercise  of  faith  and 
love,  and  stands  in  the  way  of  well-doing,  so  that  when  I 
would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me.  And  so  deep  and 
powerful  is.  this  remaining  depravity,  that  all  efforts  to  eradi- 
cate or  subdue  it,  are  vain  without  the  aid  of  divine  grace. 
And  when  at  any  time  I  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the  depth  and 
tur[)itude  of  the  sin  of  my  nature,  I  am  overwhelmed,  and 
constrained  to  exclaim  with  Job,  '  I  abhor  myself  and  re- 
pent in  dust  and  ashes/  And  now,  righteous  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty, I  would  not  attempt  to  conceal  any  of  my  actual 
transgressions,  however  vile  and  shameful  they  are  ;  but 
would  penitently  confess  them  before  thee  ;  and  would  plead 
in  my  defence  nothing  but  the  perfect  righteousness  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  the  just  for  the  unjust,  to  bring 
us  near  to  God.  For  his  sake  alone  do  I  ask  or  expect  the 
rich  blessings  necessary  to  my  salvation.  For  although  I  am 
unworthy,  he  is  most  worthy  ;  though  I  have  no  righteous- 
ness, he  has  provided  by  his  expiatory  death,  and  by  his  holy 
life,  a  complete  justifying  righteousness,  in  which  spotless 
robe  I  pray  that  I  may  be  clothed  ;  so  that  thou  my  righteous 
Judge  wilt  see  no  sin  in  mv,  but  wilt  acquit  me  from  ever} 


PRAYER    OF    THE   AGED.  511 

accusation  J  and  justify  me  freely  by  thy  grace,  through  the 
righteousness  of  my  Lord  and  Saviour,  with  whom  thou  art 
ever  well  pleased.  And  my  earnest  prayer  is,  that  Jesus 
may  save  me  from  my  sins,  as  well  as  from  their  punishment  ; 
that  I  may  be  redeemed  from  all  iniquity,  as  well  as  from 
the  condemnation  of  the  law  ;  that  the  work  of  sanctification 
may  be  carried  on  in  my  soul  by  thy  Word  and  Spirit,  until  it 
be  perfected  at  thine  appointed  time.  And  grant,  0  Lord  ! 
that  as  long  as  I  am  in  the  body,  I  may  make  it  my  con- 
stant study  and  chief  aim  to  glorify  thy  name,  both  with 
soul  and  body,  which  are  no  longer  mine  but  thine  ;  for  I  am 
'  bought  with  a  price ' — not  with  silver  and  gold,  but  with 
the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish 
and  without  spot.  Enable  me  to  let  my  light  so  shine  that 
others  seeing  my  good  works  shall  glorify  thy  name.  0  ! 
make  use  of  me  as  an  humble  instrument  of  advancing  thy 
kingdom  on  earth,  and  promoting  the  salvation  of  immortal 
souls.  If  thou  hast  appointed  sufferings  for  me  here  below, 
I  beseech  thee  to  consider  my  weakness,  and  let  thy  chas- 
tisements be  those  of  a  loving  father,  that  I  may  be  made 
partaker  of  thy  holiness.  And  let  me  not  be  tempted  above 
what  I  am  able  to  bear,  but  with  the  temptation  make  a  way 
of  escape. 

"  0  most  merciful  God  !  cast  me  not  off  in  the  time  of 
old  age  ;  forsake  me  not  when  my  strength  declineth.  Now^ 
when  I  am  old  and  gray-headed  forsake  me  not  ;  but  let  thy 
grace  be  sufficient  for  me,  and  enable  me  to  bring  forth  fruit 
even  in  old  age.  May  my  hoary  head  be  found  in  the  ways 
of  righteousness  !     Preserve  my  mind  from  dotage  and  im- 


512  ANSWERED   PRAYER. 

becility,  and  my  body  fiom  protracted  disease  and  excru" 
dating  pain.  Deliver  me  from  despondency  and  discourage- 
ment in  my  declining  years,  and  enable  me  to  bear  affliction 
with  patience,  fortitude,  and  perfect  submission  to  thy  holy 
will.  Lift  upon  me  perpetually  the  hght  of  thy  reconciled 
countenance,  and  cause  me  t(^  rejoice  in  thy  salvation,  and  in 
the  hope  of  thy  glory.  May  the  peace  that  passeth  all  un- 
derstanding be  constantly  diffused  through  my  soul,  so  that 
my  mind  may'remain  calm  through  all  the  storms  and  vicis- 
situdes of  life. 

"  As,  in  the  coiirse  of  nature,  I  must  be  drawing  near 
to  my  end,  and  as  I  know  I  must  soon  put  off  this  taber- 
nacle, I  do'^humbly  and  earnestly  beseech  thee,  0  Father  of 
mercies,  to  prepare  me  for  this  inevitable  and  solemn  event 
Fortify  my  mind  against  the  terrors  of  death.  Give  me,  if 
it  please  thee,  an  easy  passage  through  the  gate  of  death 
Dissipate  the  dark  clouds  and  mists  which  naturally  hang 
over  the  grave,  and  lead  me  gently  down  into  the  gloomy 
valley.  0  my  kind  Shepherd,  who  hast  tasted  the  bitterness 
of  death  for  me,  and  who  knowest  how  to  sympathize  with 
and  succour  the  sheep  of  thy  pasture,  be  thou  present  to 
guide,  to  support,  and  to  comfort  me.  Illumine  with  beams 
of  heavenly  light  the  valley  and  skadow  of  death,  so  that  1 
may  fear  no  evil.  When  heart  and  flesh  fail,  be  thou  the 
strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever.  Let  not  my 
courage  fail  in  the  trying  hour.  Permit  not  the  great  adver 
sary  to  harass  my  soul  in  the  last  struggle,  but  make  me  a 
conqueror  and  more  than  a  conqueror  in  this  fearful  conflict. 
I  humbly  ask  that  my  reason  may  be  continued  to  the  last, 


REFLECTIONS.  5I3 

And  if  it  be  thy  will,  that  I  may  be  so  comforted  and  sup- 
ported, that  I  may  leave  a  testimony  in  favour  of  the 
reality  of  religion,  and  thy  faithfulness  in  fulfilling  thy 
gracious  promises  ;  and  that  others  of  thy  servants  who 
may  follow  after,  may  be  encouraged  by  my  example,  to 
commit  themselves  boldly  to  the  guidance  and  keeping  of 
the  Shepherd  of  Israel. 

"And  when  my  spirit  leaves  this  clay  tenement,  Lord 
Jesus  receive  it  I  Send  some  of  the  blessed  angels  to  convoy 
my  inexperienced  soul  to  the  mansion  which  thy  love  has  pre- 
pared. And  0  !  let  me  be  so  situated,  though  in  the  lowest 
rank,  that  I  may  behold  thy  glory.  May  I  have  an  abun- 
dant entrance  administered  unto  me  into  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  for  whose  sake  and  in 
whose  name,  I  ask  all  these  things.     Amen."* 

The  unvarnished  narrative  of  such  a  scene  might  per- 
haps claim  to  be  left  to  make  its  own  impression ;  but  there 
are  a  few  reflections  which  force  themselves  upon  our  thank- 
ful minds,  and  which  shall  be  simply  and  briefly  expressed. 

The  first  is,  that  death  approached  in  a  great  degree  dis- 
armed of  its  ordinary  terrors.  Here  was  nothing  ghastly. 
Though  not  painless,  his  dying  bed  was  exempt  from  agony. 
He  was  surrounded  by  his  family,  was  waited  on  by  the  wife 
of  his  bosom,  and  was  in  full  possession  of  his  intellectual 
powers. 

Another  remark  is,  that  in  his  last  hours  there  was  no 
vacillation,  as  to  the  truth  of  the  system  which  he  had  spent 
his  life  in  maintaining.  He  may  be  said  to  have  reasserted  it 
with  bis  last  breath. 

*  Thouglits  on  Religious  Experience,  p.  307 


514  REFLECTIONS. 

But  more  striking  than  all,  is  it,  that  in  dying  he  was 
pre-eminently  true  to  the  natural  simplicity  of  his  character. 
Not  one  syllable  was  there  for  effect.  All  was  as  in  his  days 
of  health.  He  looked  collectedly  on  the  awful  change,  and 
met  the  enemy  as  one  whom  he  had  long  surveyed  and  was 
now  to  overcome. 


CHAPTER  NINETEENTH. 
1851. 

FVHWiAL   SERVICES,  AND    OTHER   TESTIMONIALS   OF    RESPECT. 

GREAT  solemnity  was  added  to  the  scenes  which  have 
just  been  reported,  by  the  fact  that  the  Synod  of  New 
Jersey  was  meeting  in  Princeton  at  the  time.  This  venera- 
ble body  adjourned  to  attend  the  funeral  services,  which  took 
place  on  Friday,  the  24:th  of  October.  The  concourse  of 
awed  and  mourning  friends  was  extraordinary.  Many  mem- 
bers of  the  New- York  and  Philadelphia  Synods  were  present, 
as  well  as  numerous  fellow  Christians  of  other  persuasions. 
The  Synod  of  New  Jersey,  after  meeting  in  the  Chapel, 
assumed  the  principal  part  in  the  solemnities.  The  Presby- 
tery of  New  Brunswick  accompanied  the  remains  as  pall- 
bearers. Then  followed  the  family,  and  Professors,  the  Di- 
rectors, the  students,  the  clergy  and  a  multitude  of  mourning 
friends.  The  assembly  gathered  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  where  the  galleries  were  filled  with  the  students  of 
the  two  institutions,  and  the  body  of  the  house  with  the 


516 


FUNERAL    SOLEMNITIES. 


Synod,  while  the  uisles  and  even  the  pulpit  stairs  were  occu- 
pied by  the  attendant  throng. 

A  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Murmy  opened  ^he  service. 
The  students  of  the  Seminary  then  sang  a  hymn  Part  of 
the  fifteenth  chapter  of  the  first  epistle  to  tlie  Corinthians 
was  read.  The  hymn,  *  WHy  should  we  mourn  departed 
friends/  was  sung.  After  which,  in  pursuance  of  a  wish  ex- 
pressed by  the  departed,  a  funeral  discoui*se  was  delivered  by 
the  Rev.  John  McDowell,  D.  D.,  the  oldest  Director.  His 
most  appropriate  text  was  Revelation  xiv.  13.  ''  And  1 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me.  Write,  Blessed 
are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  ;  yea, 
saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labours : 
and  their  works  do  follow  them."  The  preacher  pointed  out 
the  prominent  marks  which  indicate  the  character  refened  to 
— he  that  is  m  the  Lord  ;  and  then  remarked,  that  blessed- 
ness was  predicted  of  him  who  sustained  this  relation  in  life 
and  in  death.  The  nature  of  this  blessedness  was  a  second 
topic — a  blessedness  in  union  with  Christ ;  a  blessedness  in 
dying  while  thus  unital  with  the  living  head ;  a  blessed  rest 
after  all  the  toils  of  life,  and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  heaven, 
whither  every  good  work  followed  the  believer,  and  received 
its  gracious  reward.  The  beautiful  and  appropriate  theme 
was  treated  in  the  most  practical  manner,  with  much  earnest- 
ness and  feeling  ;  and  there  appeared  to  be  but  one  impression 
among  the  auditors  of  the  entire  fitness  both  of  the  subject 
and  its  treatment  to  the  solemn  occasion.  It  was  just  such 
a  sermon  as  should  be  preached  on  a  funeral  occasion,  and 
we  doubt  not,  that   the  deceased,  could  he  have  heard  it. 


THK  PROCESSION.  517 

would  have  expressed  his  approhation.  After  the  sermon 
proper,  the  preacher  read  an  extract  of  a  letter  which  he 
had  received  from  one  of  the  Professors  in  the  Seminary  a 
few  days  previous  to  the  death  of  Dr.  Alexander,  in  which  it 
was  stated,  as  the  twice  repeated  injunction  of  the  deceased, 
that  the  funeral  sermon  should  contain  no  delineation  of  his 
character  and  no  eulogy.  This  inhibition,  so  much  in  keeping 
with  his  general  character,  was  in  fact  his  eulogy.  It  was  so 
felt  to  be  by  the  audience,  although  the  preacher  must  have 
felt  embarrassed  by  a  restriction  which  precluded  him  from 
expatiating  in  so  fruitful  a  field.  He  confined  himself  ac- 
cordingly to  a  few  historical  details. 

"  After  the  religious  services  in  the  church,"  says  a  con- 
temporary account,  "the  body  was  borne  by  ministers  of 
the  Gospel  to  its  burial.  The  arrangements  for  the  proces- 
sion had  been  made  with  great  skill,  and  the  whole  was  con- 
ducted without  the  slightest  confusion.  It  was  one  of  the 
most  impressive  spectacles  we  have  ever  seen.  In  the  middle 
of  the  broad  street  fronting  the  College  and  Church,  the 
students  of  the  College,  with  their  Professors,  amounting  to 
more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty,  walked  four  abreast ;  then 
followed  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey  and  clergy  from  the 
neighbouring  cities  and  towns,  numbering  more  than  one 
hundred  clergymen  ;  then  the  corpse,  borne  by  members  of 
the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  and  accompanied  by  the 
sons  of  the  deceased  ;  these  were  followed  by  the  students 
in  the  Theological  Seminary,  with  the  Directors,  amounting 
to  about  one  hundred  and  forty,  together  with  citizens. 
There  were  no  females  in  the  procession,  although  many 
were  in  attendance  at  the  church. 


618 


THE    PLACE    OF  BURIAL. 


"  The  numerous  cortege  formed  an  extended  circle  around 
the  grave,  and  after  the  body  was  deposited,  the  audience 
were  briefly  addressed  by  Kev.  Dr.  Magie  of  Elizabethtown. 
His  remarks  were  most  happily  conceived,  and  uttered  in 
silvery  and  tremulous  tones.  In  speaking  of  depositing  all 
that  was  mortal  of  this  good  and  great  man  in  the  silent 
tomb,  of  the  many  evidences  of  usefulness  he  had  left  beliind 
him,  and  of  the  halo  of  light  which  the  doctrine  of  the  res- 
urrection shed  upon  the  grave,  he  with  difficulty  commanded 
his  feelings.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  self-imposed  restraint, 
he  could  have  dissolved  the  large  audience  in  tears.  One  of 
the  most  striking  features  of  the  solemn  ceremonial  was  the 
six  sons  of  the  deceased,  three  of  them  in  the  ministry, 
standing  side  by  side  on  the  margin  of  that  grave  which  held 
the  mortal  part  of  their  venerated  parent,  to  whose  instruc- 
tions and  example  they  were  so  deeply  indebted.  It  was  a 
funeral  never  to  be  forgotten.  It  was  a  funeral  without 
gloom,  which  bore  the  thoughts  quite  to  the  verge  of  heaven. 
The  light  of  the  resurrection  and  of  immortality  seemed  to 
dispel  the  shades  of  death  and  the  grave,  and  the  spectators 
of  the  scene  could  say,  and  no  doubt  did  say,  ^  Let  me  die 
the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his.' " 
The  closing  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Plumer. 

We  must  be  permitted  to  add,  that  the  brief  address  of 
Dr.  Magie,  at  the  grave,  was  eminently  simple,  graceful  and 
pathetic.  The  throng  had  become  great,  but  they  now 
formed  a  hollow  square,  the  students  of  the  Seminary  on  the 
west,  the  College  students  on  the  east,  the  Synod  on  the 
north,  and  the  citizens  on  the  south.     The  sun  of  a  match- 


TESTIMONIES.  519 

less  autumnal  day  was  just  going  down,  as  the  beloved  de- 
posit was  lowered  into  the  earth  which  contains  the  relics 
of  Burr,  Edwards,  Davies,  Witherspoon,  Smith,  Green  and 
Miller.     Dr.  Magie  broke  the  silence  by  words  something  like 

these  : 

"There  is  the  end  of  eighty  years — of  sixty  years  of 

faithful  service  in  the  Christian  ministry — of  forty  years  of 

eminence  in  our  highest  institution  of  sacred  learning.    That 

place  looks  cold,  and  dark  and  gloomy  to  lay  such  a  man  in  ; 

but  it  is  just  as  good  a  place  as  that  in  which  his  Master 

rested.     The  dust  we  lay  here  is  precious.     It  has  been  the 

dwelling-place  of  an  immortal  soul — it  has  been  the  temple 

of  the  Holy  Ghost."     A  few  other  touching  words  were 

spoken. 

It  would  be  difficult,  and  might  even  seem  invidious,  to 
single  out  any  from  the  numerous  discourses  which  were  de- 
livered from  the  pulpits  of  his  pupils  and  other  friends,  in 
every  part  of  the  country.  To  some  of  these  we  may  be  in- 
debted for  a  few  corroborative  testimonials,  in  another  place. 
The  same  remark  applies  with  less  force  to  the  acts  of  public 
bodies.  Several  of  these,  on  account  of  statements  which 
they  contain,  deserve  to  be  perpetuated. 

The  Synod  of  New  Jersey,  being  on  the  very  spot,  natu- 
rally took  the  lead  in  expressions  of  filial  respect. 

EXTRACT     FROM     THE     MINUTES     OF     THE     SYNOD     OF     NEW 
JERSEY,  IN    SESSION    AT    PRINCETON,  N.  J.,  OCT.  22d,  1851. 

"TheTJommittee  appointed  to  bring  in  a  paper  expres- 
sive of  the  views  of  the  Synod,  with  reference  to  the  death 


520  SYNOD   OF    NEW   JERSEY. 

of  the  Kev.  Archibald  Alexander,  D.  D.,  made  the  following 
report,  which  was  adopted  and  ordered  to  be  published  in 
the  New- York  Observer. 

"Since  the  Synod  opened  its  sessions  in  this  place,  God 
in  his  wise  and  holy  Providence  has  seen  fit  to  take  the  Bev. 
Archibald  Alexander,  D.  D.,  to  himself,  in  the  eightieth  year 
of  his  age. 

"  This  event  has  been  preceded  by  an  illness  of  a  few 
weeks,  during  which  the  venerable  man  gradually  declined, 
until  about  six  o'clock  this  morning,  he  sweetly  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus,  and  was  gathered  in  as  a  shock  of  corn  fully  ripe. 
His  departure  was  so  gentle,  and  attended  by  so  entire  an 
absence  of  distress  of  any  sort,  that  the  family  were  scarcely 
able  to  fix  upon  the  precise  moment  when  the  spirit  was  re- 
leased, and  went  up  to  hear  the  plaudit, — ^  Well  done  good 
and  taithful  servant,  thou  has  been  faithful  over  a  few  things, 
I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things  :  enter  thouin  to  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord.' 

"  This  is  not  the  time  for  a  sketch,  however  brief,  of  the 
life  and  character  of  one  who  occupied  so  elevated  a  position, 
and  had  been  so  eminently  useful  in  our  beloved  Church 
Nothing  more  can  be  done  than  simply  to  say  that  the  cir- 
cumstances connected  with  the  death  of  Dr.  Alexander — a 
death,  in  all  respects  so  befitting  his  previous  life — ought  to 
be  regarded  by  the  members  of  this  Synod,  as  highly  instruct- 
ive and  impressive.  It  has  occurred  during  the  regular  sit- 
tings of  our  body,  and  while  a  large  number  of  his  brethren 
and  former  pupils  were  assembled  to  hear  the  firsttidings  of 
its  announcement,  and  make  arrangements  to  attend  the 


TESTIMONIES.  521 

honoured  dust  to  its  resting-place  in  the  grave.  It  was  a 
meeting  of  which  the  deceased  himself  spoke  with  tender 
interest,  and  which  it  is  hoped  may  become  memorable  for 
the  happy  influence  produced  upon  many  hearts. 

"Dr.  Alexander  was  the  first  Professor  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  this  town,  and  in  the  bosom  of  our 
Synod.  This  office  he  was  permitted  by  the  favour  of  the 
Great  Head  of  the  church  to  fill  with  distinguished  credit  to 
himself,  and  with  equal  benefit  to  others,  for  upwards  of 
thirty-nine  years.  Placed  over  the  Institution  in  its  infancy, 
he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it  increase  in  numbers  and 
usefulness,  until  it  has  become  a  blessing  to  the  land  and  to 
the  world.  A  large  proportion  of  all  the  clerical  members 
of  this  Synod  had  the  privilege  of  sitting  at  his  feet  and 
drinking  in  instruction  from  those  lips  which  are  now  sealed 
in  death.  Whatever  of  influence  many  of  us  have  gained, 
or  power  of  doing  good  we  have  exerted,  are  due  very  much, 
under  God,  to  the  labours  and  prayers  of  this  distinguished 
Professor. 

"  A  year  ago  Dr.  Alexander  was  with  us  in  the  meetings 
of  our  Synod,  to  cheer  us  by  his  presence,  and  aid  us  with 
his  counsels.  Never  shall  we  forget  the  address  which  he 
delivered  on  the  evening  of  our  Devotional  Exercises,  and 
which,  as  many  at  the  time  remarked,  was  characterized  by 
almost  all  the  vigour  and  unction  of  his  earlier  days.  We 
listened  to  him  with  mingled  emotions  of  delight  and  sorrow 
— delight  that  we  could  once  more  listen  to  the  well-known 
voice — and  sorrow  that  we  should  probably  see  his  face  no 
more.  This  was  evidently  his  own  anticipation,  and  so  the 
event  has  proved. 


522  SYNOD   OF    NEW   JERSEY. 

"The  death  of  Dr.  Alexander  will  reach  the  secret  place 
of  tears,  in  multitudes  of  different  and  distant  parts  of  our 
land.  Missionaries  in  China,  India,  Africa,  and  the  Islands 
of  the  Sea,  will  receive  the  intelligence  and  cry.  My  father, 
my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof  ! 
Good  men  here  and  there  wiU  call  to  mind  his  venerable 
appearance,  and  bless  God  for  giving  to  the  Church  such  a 
minister. 

"  When  such  a  Prince  and  Great  One  falls  in  Israel,  it 
is  proper  for  devout  men  to  carry  him  to  his  grave,  and  make 
great  lamentation  over  him.  Grieve  for  him  we  cannot — we 
dare  not,  but  surely  we  may  grieve  for  ourselves  and  for  the 
rising  ministry.  When  we  reflect  upon  his  long  and  useful 
life  as  an  ambassador  for  Christ,  begun  when  he  was  but 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  extending  through  a  period  of  more 
than  sixty  years,  all  spent  in  successful  efforts  to  build  up 
the  kingdom  of  the  Kedeemer  among  men,  and  retaining  its 
mild  and  genial  lustre  to  the  last,  and  add  to  this  the  sweet 
serenity  of  the  closing  scene,  we  feel  constrained  to  unite  in 
devout  thanksgiving  to  the  King  of  Zion.  We  bless  God 
for  such  a  life,  and  with  equal  warmth  would  we  bless  God 
for  such  a  death. 

"In  this  our  departed  father  was  pre-eminent.  He 
followed  his  pupils  when  they  went  forth  to  their  work,  and 
kept  himself  acquainted  with  all  their  trials  and  successes. 
He  could  tell  where  they  were,  and  how  tbey  were. 

"  Our  beloved  Seminary  is  bereaved,  and  though  sadness 
fills  our  own  hearts,  we  cannot  do  otherwise  than  tender  our 
affectionate    sympathies    to    the    Professors   that  remain. 


TESTIMONIES.  523 

Within  two  short  years,  Dr.  Miller  and  Dr.  Alexander  have 
gone  down  to  the  grave.  United  pleasantly  together  in  a 
long  and  honourable  life,  in  death  they  are  not  much  divided. 
May  the  spirit  of  Elijah  rest  on  Eligha  !  But  all  is  not  lost. 
We  have  still  brethren  beloved  to  conduct  the  studies  of  our 
Samuels  and  Timothys  ;  above  all  we  have  the  mercy  and  the 
faithfulness  of  a  covenant  keeping  God  to  confide  in.  It  is 
still  permitted  us  to  say.  The  Lord  liveth,  and  blessed  be  our 
Rockj  and  let  the  God  of  our  salvation  be  exalted. 

"  Attest,  E.  K.  KoDGERs, 

"  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey." 

It  is  a  truly  pleasing  reflection  to  those  who  are  most 
nearly  concerned,  that  the  party  divisions  of  our  Presbyterian 
body  seemed  to  have  lost  all  such  influence  as  could  prevent 
a  hearty  condolence  in  those  who  fell  into  the  other  branch 
of  the  Church.  No  public  testimonial  was  therefore  more 
grateful  than  that  of  the  New  School  Synod  of  New- York 
and  New  Jersey  ;  concerning  which  we  borrow  from  a  journal 
of  the  time  as  follows : 

"Bloomfield,  Thursday,  Oct.  IZd. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  public  services  in  the  Synod  last 
evening,  an  announcement  was  made  from  the  pulpit  of  the 
death  of  the  venerable  Dr.  Alexander,  and  the  concluding 
prayer  was  offered  with  special  reference  to  the  fact  that  so 
great  and  good  a  man  had  fallen  in  Israel.  This  morning  at 
the  prayer  meeting  the  subject  was  again  renewed.  The 
moderator  led  in  prayer  in  reference  to  it,  and  various  touch- 
ing and  interesting  statements  were  made  by  Dr.  Cox,  the 


524  SYNOD    OF    NETV    YORK    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

Rev.  John  N.  Lewis,  Dr.  Campbell,  &c.,  as  to  Dr.  Alexander's 
literary  and  theological  history.  Afterwards  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Stearns,  D.  D.,  T.  H.  Skinner,  D.  D., 
A.  H.  Campbell,  D.  D.,  were  appointed  to  draft  appropriate 
resolutions.  Among  other  circumstances  that  showed  the 
high  estimate  in  which  the  deceased  was  held,  we  noticed  his 
likeness  which  had  been  hung  up  in  the  Synod's  place  of 
meeting,  where  all  could  refresh  their  recollections  of  one  so 
dear  in  life,  and  so  lamented  in  death.  A  meeting  was  also 
called  of  all  the  members  of  the  Synod,  w^ho  had  been  his 
pupils  in  the  Seminary." 

The  resolutions  were  these  : 

"  Resolved,  That  we  have  heard  with  profound  sorrow, 
not  unmingled  Tvith  grateful  praise,  of  the  peaceful,  saint-like 
death  of  the  venerable  Dr.  Alexander. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  rare  constellation  of  excellencies 
which  met  and  blended  in  the  life  and  character  of  this 
eminent  servant  of  God ;  his  child-like  simplicity,  warm- 
hearted piety,  rich  religious  experience,  fervid  Christian 
eloquence,  together  with  a  sound  practical  judgment,  fine 
natural  endowments,  accomplished  scholarship,  and  fidelity 
and  perseverance  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty,  conspired  to 
make  him  one  of  the  highest  ornaments  which  have  adorned 
the  Church  of  Christ  in  our  country.  The  cause  of  Theolo- 
gical Education,  to  which  his  ripest  years  were  devoted, 
found  in  him  one  of  its  most  active  and  successful  promoters  ; 
and  the  Christian  Ministry,  especially  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  is  under  an  inestimable  and  lasting  obligation  to  his 
truly  apostolic  service  and  example. 


TESTIMONIES.  525 

^'Resolved,  That  in  this  affecting  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence,  we  recognize  a  call  to  new  fidelity  and  watchful- 
ness in  the  service  of  Christ,  and  devoutly  pray  that  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church  would  make  it  a  means  of  spir- 
itual blessings,  not  only  to  ourselves  but  to  the  school  of  the 
Prophets,  so  highly  favoured  of  God  in  commencing  its  ex- 
istence under  the  guidance  of  such  a  teacher,  and  to  the 
whole  Presbyterian  family  throughout  the  land,  to  whom  in 
common  his  memory  will  ever  be  fragrant. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  affectionate  sympathy  to 
the  bereaved  family  of  the  deceased,  and  would  crave  the 
privilege  to  mingle  our  tears  as  at  the  grave  of  a  father. 

"John  N.  Lewis,  Stated  Clerk." 

From  his  native  State  the  tribute  of  respect  was  warm 
and  significant.  In  communicating  it,  the  Rev.  Dr.  McFar- 
land,  the  Stated  Clerk,  uses  the  following  language  :  '^  I  feel 
as  though  I  ought  to  embrace  the  occasion  to  say  a  few 
words  for  myself  I  doubt  whether  any,  out  of  the  family 
connection,  feel  the  death  of  youi  beloved  father  more 
deeply  than  I  do.  There  was  no  man  on  earth  for  whom  I 
felt  such  love.  Ever  since  I  knew  him,  he  has  been  my 
counsellor  in  all  the  important  changes  of  my  life.  I  felt 
unbounded  confidence  in  the  soundness  of  his  judgment,  and 
he  always  took  a  great  interest  in  my  affairs. 

"I  felt  under  obligations  to  him  in  common  with  others 
for  his  invaluable  instructions  ;  but  when  I  was  associated 
with  him,  I  enjoyed  his  personal  friendship  to  a  degree  which 
I  had  no  reason  to  expect,  and  of  which  he  gave  me  many 


526  SYNOD   OF   VIRGINIA. 

substanival  proofs,  and  I  regard  it  as  one  of  the  richest  bless- 
ings of  my  life.  I  will  thank  you  to  convey  to  my  beloved 
friend,  your  mother,  the  assurance  of  the  sympathies  of  a 
heart  that  feels  bereaved  in  some  humble  measure  like  hei 
own.  God  grant  her  the  abundant  consolations  of  his  grace. 
Please  also  to  present  my  kind  sympathies  to  your  sister  and 
to  your  brothers." 


"  The  Synod  of  Virginia  in  Session  at  Norfolk,  Va. 
November  \st,  1851. 


"  It  having  pleased  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  to  re- 
move by  death,  on  the  22d  ult.,  the  venerable  and  reverend 
Dr.  Archibald  Alexander,  from  his  long  and  useful  labours 
on  earth  to  his  reward  in  heaven  :  this  Synod,  in  whose 
bounds  he  had  been  born  and  reared,  and  of  which,  during 
the  early  part  of  his  ministry,  he  had  been  a  valued  member, 
feel  themselves  called  upon  to  testify  their  affectionate  re- 
membrance of  his  great  excellence  as  a  faithful  servant  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  to  record  on  their  Minutes  the  mournful 
bereavement  which  the  whole  Church,  and  this  Synod  in 
particular,  feel,  in  the  death  of  so  eminent  and  useful  a 
minister  of  Christ.  His  character  as  a  faithful  and  successful 
preacher  of  the  Gospel  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and 
his  eminent  services  as  a  teacher  of  Theology  in  the  Prince- 
ton Seminary,  from  its  foundation  till  his  death,  are  known 
to  the  entire  Church  of  Christ  in  our  own  country,  and  to 
most  of  the  Evangelical  Churches  in  Europe. 

"  '  The  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  palm  tree  ;  he 
shall  grow  like  a  cedar  in  Lebanon.  Those  that  be  planted 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  shall  flourish  in  the  courts  of  our 


MRS.    ALEXANDER.  527 

God.  They  shall  still  bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age  ;  they 
shall  be  fat  and  flourishing :  to  show  that  the  Lord  is  up- 
right ;  he  is  my  rock,  and  there  is  no  unrighteousness  in 
him.' 

"  Kesolved,  That  the  Stated  Clerk  of  Synod  transmit  to 
the  family  of  Dr.  Alexander  a  copy  of  this  record,  with  the 
assurance  of  the  tender  sympathy  of  Synod  in.  their  affliction. 

"  The  foregoing  is  a  true  extract  from  the  minutes  of 
Synod. 

"  Francis  McFarland,  Stated  Clerk. 
"  To  the  family  of  the  late  Dr.  A.  Alexander." 

We  need  not  offer  an  apology  for  adding  a  few  para- 
graphs in  this  place  respecting  Mrs.  Alexander,  who  survived 
her  husband  less  than  one  year.  So  united  were  they  in 
their  lives,  so  helpful,  and  as  it  were  necessary  to  one  ano- 
ther, and  so  seldom  seen  apart,  that  those  who  remember 
either  will  willingly  read  of  both. 

Janet ta  Waddel  was  the  second  daughter  and  fourth 
child  of  the  celebrated  James  Waddel,  D.  D.,  already  men- 
tioned in  this  work.  She  was  born  in  Augusta  county,  Vir- 
ginia, but  was  early  removed  to  the  other  side  of  the  Blue 
Kidge,  where  she  spent  her  happy  youth  in  the  county  of 
Louisa.  As  she  grew  up  she  was  greatly  admired  for  her 
beauty,  grace,  and  mental  promise.  During  the  long  blind- 
ness of  her  father,  she  was  eyes  to  his  infirmity,  acting  as  his 
amanuensis,  and  making  him  acquainted  with  the  contents 
of  many  volumes.  He  taught  her  to  pronounce  Latin,  at  a 
very  early  age,  that  she  might  read  works  to  him  in  that  Ian- 


528  MRS.    ALEXANDER. 

guage.  Under  his  guklance  her  education  was  conducted, 
partly  by  the  aid  of  domestic  teachers  ;  for  she  never  went 
abroad  to  school.  In  early  youth  she  made  a  profession  of 
her  faith  in  Christ  ;  but  of  her  private  exercises  at  this  time, 
no  particular  account  has  been  preserved. 

As  before  related,  Dr.  Alexander  turned  aside  from  a 
journey,  and  gained  her  plighted  affection.  She  was  young 
and  blooming,  full  of  vivacity,  and  the  charm  of  all  his 
house.  Matronly  virtues  in  process  of  time  took  the  place 
of  youthful  attraction  ;  but  we  may  be  allowed  to  say,  she 
was  always  lovely,  as  a  wife,  a  mother,  and  a  friend.  It  is 
impossible  to  describe  what  she  was  to  her  husband.  It  was 
not  merely  affection  that  she  bestowed,  though  the  tender- 
ness of  her  attachment  was  anxious  if  not  overweening  ;  she 
rendered  wise  counsel ;  she  assumed  every  domestic  care 
with  untiring  industry,  frugality,  and  hospitable  warmth  ; 
she  disguised  her  own  solicitudes,  to  cheer  him  when  he  de- 
sponded or  was  ill ;  she  gave  her  full  soul  to  all  his  pleasures 
and  all  his  pains  ;  she  was  permitted  to  be  as  a  ministering 
angel  beside  his  dying  bed.  Through  God's  singular  mercy, 
she  enjoyed  life-long  health  and  spirits.  Her  very  counte- 
nance and  greeting  shed  sunshine  over  the  house  and  its 
guests  ;  and  the  earlier  students  of  the  Seminary  remember 
her  as  a  mother  or  an  elder  sister. 

Without  pretension,  she  was  well  informed  in  the  usual 
range  of  female  literature.  In  conversation  she  excelled, 
being  free,  full  of  vivacity  and  humour,  and  ready  to  cheer 
the  hearts  of  all  who  approached  her.  It  is  impossible  for 
her  children  to   think  of  her,  without  an   affectionate  and 


MRS.    ALEXANDER.  529 

pensive  delight.  Into  her  bosom  they  familiarly  pour*ed  all 
their  pleasures  and  grief,  from  infancy  till  some  of  them  at- 
tained to  gray  hairs.  Her  mind  was  quick,  and  her  memory 
remarkable.  In  later  years  her  reading  was  chiefly  of  a  re- 
ligious kind,  and  her  taste  was  for  a  class  of  authors  who  are 
savoury  and  evangelical.  It  is  pleasant  to  recur  to  her  fa- 
vourite books  :  Wilson's  Sacra  Privata,  Bennetts  Divine 
Oratory,  TrailFs  Sermons  on  the  Throne  of  Grace,  FlaveFs 
Treatises,  Newton's  Cardiphonia,  Cowper's  Poems  and  Let- 
ters, and  Boston's  Fourfold  State.  In  the  school  which 
Providence  had  given  her,  she  grew  up  to  a  modest,  gentle 
and  consistent  piety.  Her  coincidence  of  views  with  her 
husband  was  perfect,  and  she  shared  his  interest  in  all  that 
concerned  Christ's  kingdom.  During  the  first  years  of  the 
Seminary  she  was  active  and  successful  in  gathering  support 
for  needy  students.  The  humble  poor  found  her  bountiful, 
assiduous  and  constant.  She  delighted  in  religious  services, 
and  gave  them  much  of  her  time. 

The  bereavement  which  made  her  a  widow  was  a  stroke 
which  paralyzed  her  energies  in  some  degree.  Yet  her  resig- 
nation was  absolute.  She  uttered  no  word  of  murmuring  ; 
she  even  showed  a  melancholy  smile  as  she  turned  to  her 
darkened  house  and  to  the  service  of  her  family.  But 
a  shade  had  fallen  on  her,  and  she  never  was  the  buoy- 
ant person  she  had  been.  Still  she  pursued  her  solitary 
path  with  uncomplaining  diligence  and  kindly  affection.  It 
pleased  God  to  make  her  departure  eminently  peaceful,  as 
if  in  answer  to  prayers  which  we  have  recorded.  It  took 
place  after  a   brief  illness,   accompanied   with   few  violent 


530  MAJOR    ALEXANDER. 

syiiilitoms,  on  the  7th  clay  of  September,  1852.  Though  the 
nature  of  her  malady  prevented  her  from  much  expression  of 
her  views,  she  has  left  her  lamenting  family  fully  confident 
of  her  Christian  character  and  eternal  peace. 

The  surviving  children  of  Dr.  Alexander  are  six  sons 
and  a  daugliter.  Of  the  sons,  three  are  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  two  are  lawyers,  and  one  is  a  physician.  Iii  addition 
to  changes  already  mentioned,  it  only  remains  to  be  said, 
that  the  last  of  Dr.  Alexander's  brothers.  Major  John  Alex- 
ander, of  Lexington,  departed  this  life  in  1853,  while  these 
labours  were  near  their  end.  We  annex  a  tribute  to  his 
memory,  from  the  pen  of  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  White  : 

"  Major  Alexander  was  the  son  of  Wm.  Alexander,  Esq., 
of  Rockbridge,  Virginia,  and  brother  of  the  late  Dr.  Alexander, 
of  Princeton.  He  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  early  religious  in- 
struction, and  from  his  early  youth  was  remarkable  for  integ- 
rity, industry,  enlightened  econonw,  and  true  benevolence. 
These  virtues  rendered  him  successful  in  getting  an  ample 
estate,  and  what  was  far  better,  gave  him  an  unusual  hold  on 
the  confidence  and  love  of  the  community  in  which  his  whole 
life  was  passed.  His  high  moral  qualities  were  the  result  of 
religious  training  and  religious  principle.  At  an  early  period 
of  life,  he  embraced  Christ  as  he  is  treely  offered  in  the  Gos- 
pel, and  served  him  as  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
for  more  than  fifty,  and  as  a  Ruling  Elder  for  forty-seven 
years.  His  devotion  to  the  Church  of  Christ  was  enlightened, 
warm  and  generous.  He  had  long  been  the  senior  Elder  in 
a  Session  of  twelve  members.  He  was  no  less  active  and 
liberal  in  his  efforts  to  promote  the  cause  of  sound  learning 


MAJOR    ALEXANDER.  53  [ 

As  the  generous  friend,  and  senior  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Washington  College,  his  memory  is  held  in  grate- 
ful remembrance.  The  same  is  also  true  of  the  relations  he 
sustained  and  the  part  he  acted  toward  the  Ann  Smith  Fe- 
male Academy  of  this  place.  He  served  his  country  with 
unswerving  fidelity  as  an  officer,  in  the  War  of  1812,  and- 
for  many  years  as  Brigade  Inspector  for  Western  Virginia. 

"  In  a  word,  the  various  relations  he  sustained  both  to  the 
State  and  to  the  Church,  the  true  patriotism,  the  sterling 
integrity,  the  eminent  good  sense,  the  modest,  but  enlight- 
ened and  warm  piety  with  which  the  high  duties,  flowing 
from  these  relations,  were  all  discharged,  render  his  death  a 
very  great  public  calamity. 

"  Although  he  had  reached  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his 
age,  he  had  retired  from  none  of  the  active  duties  of  life — 
for,  '  his  eye  was  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated.'  No 
one  ever  thought  of  the  ^  good  Major,'  as  he  was  familiarly 
called,  as  an  old  man.  Though  old  in  years,  he  was  young 
in  spirit.  He  possessed  the  wisdom  of  the  one  beautifully 
blended  with  the  vivacity  of  the  other.  Whether  you  met 
him  in  the  social  circle  or  the  street,  at  the  prayer-meeting  or 
in  the  great  congregation,  you  were  always  cheered  by  the 
cloudless  sun-light  which  his  peaceful  spirit  threw  over  his 
benignant  face.  Never  did  there  live  and  die  a  man  whose 
hospitality,  both  to  friends  and  to  strangers,  was  more  un- 
pretending and  generous.  His  house  was  the  home  of  all 
who  ever  sought  and  deserved  his  confidence.  He  was  liter- 
ally happy  in  contributing  to  the  happiness  of  others. — 


532  MAJOR    ALEXANDER. 

Thousands  scattered  all  through  the  States  of  this  Confeder- 
acy, yet  live  to  testify  to  the  truth  of  this  statement. 

"  His  lonely  widow,  with  three  sons  and  two  daughters, 
survive  in  deepest  affliction.  They  mourn — the  Church,  the 
whole  community  mourn,  but  not  as  they  who  have  no  hope. 
•Full  of  years,  yet  strong  in  faith,  he  has  gone  to  join  his 
distinguished  brother,  his  estimable,  pious  sister,  who  so  re- 
cently preceded  him,  and  with  them  to  make  a  part  of  that 
great  multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  who  are  before 
God's  throne,  'having  washed  their  robes  and  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.' 

"  He  died  of  apoplexy.  Consequently  his  fall  was  sudden, 
but  it  was  safe.  He  was  not  called  to  endure  protracted  pain 
and  sickness  ;  nor  were  his  loved  family  called  to  suffer  from 
prolonged  solicitude.  Like  Enoch  he  '  walked  with  God,  and 
he  was  not ;  for  God  took  him.'  Truly  it  was  much  more 
like  a  translation  than  death." 


CHAPTER  TWENTIETH. 

CONCLUDING    SUMMAET. 

IN  conducting  the  narrative  part  of  our  labour  which  has 
now  been  brought  to  a  close,  we  have  chosen  to  introduce 
general  sketches  of  mind  and  manners,  wherever  they  seemed 
to  be  naturally  suggested  ;-  and  this  has  made  it  less  neces- 
sary to  annex  a  formal  and  extended  delineation  of  character. 
Yet  there  are  some  points  which  require  a  concluding  notice^ 
such  as  we  shall  now  attempt  in  the  way  of  general  summary  ; 
with  the  full  conviction  that  in  no  part  of  our  task  is  there  so 
much  danger  of  being  misled  by  a  filial  bias,  A  sense  of 
this  has  led  us  in  the  preceding  chapter  to  borrow  from  others 
expressions  of  eulogy  much  stronger  than  we  durst  use  in  our 
own  person. 

Of  those  who  peruse  this  narrative  some  were  personally 
conversant  with  him  of  whom  it  treats  ;  but  of  these  the 
greater  part  remember  only  his  years  of  decline.  To  most 
his  very  figure  reappears  in  memory  as  bowed  down  with  age. 
A  small  number  can  recall  the  image  of  one  who  was  bright 
and  buoyant  and  whose  frame  beyond  most  was  informed 


534  PERSON. 

with  a  spirit  of  life.  The  universal  testimony  of  aged  persons 
is  that  in  his  youth  he  possessed  a  high  degree  of  manly 
beauty.  His  stature,  which  was  precisely  five  feet  and  seven 
inches,  was  certainly  not  commanding,  but  his  limbs  were 
shapely  and  well  compacted,  and  the  whole  impression  was 
that  of  symmetrical  balance.  His  walk  and  motions  were 
too  much  swayed  by  the  inward  pulses  of  feeling  to  be  either 
staid  or  graceful.  But  the  head  was  unquestionably  one  to 
be  remembered.  A  high  and  spacious  forehead,  receding 
into  deep  angles  among  an  abundance  of  nutbrown  hair,  an 
eye  of  dark  hazel,  a  delicately  chiseled  nose,  a  mouth  of  sin- 
gularly  variable  expression  before  the  ravages  of  age  had 
caused  it  to  fall  in,  and  a  complexion  of  uncommon  delicacy 
and  transparence,  combined  to  produce  a  physiognomy  which 
no  one  of  numerous  portraits  has  reproduced.  But  the  dead 
face  was  nothing.  There  was  a  lighting  up  of  the  speaking 
surfaces  by  the  internal  glow,  which  continued  long  after  the 
grace  of  contour  and  colour  had  departed.  This  was  a 
large  part  of  that  eloquence,  which  was  felt  in  his  conversa- 
tion and  public  discourses.  The  gleam  of  his  piercing  eye, 
sometimes  rapidly  roving,  but  often  long  fixing  itself  with  a 
peculiar  search  of  expression,  added  indescribably  to  the  ef- 
fect of  what  he  uttered.  And  there  were  times  when  an 
illumination  overspread  his  features,  under  strong  emotion, 
which  we  have  very  seldom  seen.  As  days  advanced,  he  be- 
came more  wrinkled  and  haggard  ;  his  teeth  were  early  lost  : 
and  he  acquired  a  stoop  in  the  shoulders.  In  his  latest 
years,  he  had  better  health  and  even  grew  fleshy,  but  except 
the  eye  and  the  expression,  there  was  little  to  remind  of  hia 
former  self 


HEALTH MANNERS.  53^ 

The  most  formidable  threatenings  of  his  health  were  id 
his  early  life.  The  middle  portion,  as  we  have  already  stated, 
was  annoyed  by  numerous  dyspeptic  and  nervous  symptoms, 
which  caused  discomfort  rather  than  alarm.  He  never  had 
a  greater  sense  of  health  than  in  the  years  immediately  pre- 
ceding his  last  illness.  This  is  wonderful,  when  we  recur  to 
his  fixed  habit  of  taking  no  exercise.  He  was  far  from  pre- 
scribing this  method  to  others,  but  either  some  obscure  in- 
stinct pointed  out  to  him  the  course  which  in  his  case  would 
conduce  to  longevity  and  comfort,  or  the  strength  of  original 
stamina  availed  to  overmaster  a  series  of  influences  wliich  in 
ninety-nine  instances  out  of  a  hundred  would  have  proved  fatal. 
We  certainly  never  knew  any  one  who  quaffed  the  cup  of 
mere  physical  life  with  more  zest  than  he,  in  the  moments 
when  he  was  exempt  from  the  depressions  already  often  men- 
tioned. And  it  was  delightful  cause  of  thankfulness  to  their 
children  that  their  beloved  mother  retained  to  so  unusual  a 
length  of  days  her  youthful  freshness  and  animation.  They 
were  early  risers  and  plain  livsrs,  but  perfectly  free  from  all 
dietetic  hobbies  and  whimsies. 

In  recalling  the  natural  traits  and  character  of  Dr.  Air 
exander,  all  persons  seem  at  once  to  alight  on  his  remarkable 
simplicity.  It  is  a  quality  which  defies  description.  We 
believe  that  no  child  could  be  more  free  from  affectation.  It 
was  no  fruit  of  study,  principle  or  purpose  ;  it  was  naked  na- 
ture. In  all  our  lives  we  never  saw  any  one  who  so  com- 
pletely did  just  what  he  liked  ;  and  yet  without  cynicism  or 
invasion  of  others.  He  was  what  he  appeared  to  be  ;  if  this 
gave  offence — he  could  not  help  it.    This  naturalness  showed 


536  BIODESTY. 

itself  in  his  dress,  his  carriage,  his  gesture,  his  tones,  hit 
style  of  writing.  In  early  life  he  was  shy  and  bashful,  and 
there  was  always  a  discernible  trace  of  this.  Though  hia 
tell-tale  face  generally  revealed  his  feelings,  he  had  a  great 
talent  of  silence.  There  were  some  things  of  which  he  never 
spoke  ;  as  of  his  pecuniary  affairs,  his  invitations  to  impor- 
tant posts,  his  devotional  exercises,  his  success  in  preaching. 
Secrets  confided  to  him  were  buried  in  the  grave. 

We  suppose  him  to  have  been  a  man  of  true  modesty.  Not 
only  in  a  sense  which  we  lament  to  say  requires  to  be  recom- 
mended— ^for  we  believe  no  one  ever  heard  him  relate  a  story 
which  might  not  have  fallen  from  a  virgin's  lips — but  in  the 
common  acceptation  of  moralists.  He  uniformly  shrunk  into 
the  back  ground.  He  neither  sought  praise  nor  tolerated  it ; 
but  this  he  was  wont  to  ascribe  more  to  a  sort  of  pride  than  to 
humility.  He  in  no  instance  ran  after  the  great,  or  addicted 
himself  to  the  ministry  of  the  rich  and  famous,  or  sat  prom- 
inent on  platforms,  or  shouldered  himself  into  the  van  of 
popular  enterprises.  It  is  believed  that  he  lost  nothing  in 
favour  or  even  reputation  by  such  a  reserve.  Men  of  the 
world  were  often  struck  by  a  self-retirement  which  is  so  un- 
common. This  was  well  expressed  by  that  great  ornament 
of  the  legal  profession,  George  Wood,  Esq.,  of  New- York, 
In  speaking  of  Daniel  Webster,  this  learned  jurist  and  acute 
observer  says :  "  The  people  can  distinguish  between  pride 
or  ostentation  and  that  kind  of  retired  habit  which  results 
from  diffidence  or  deep  reflection.  Some  of  the  most  retired 
men  I  have  ever  known  have  been  the  most  free  from  vanity 
and  pri^e.     Witness  the  late  Dr.  Alexander  of  Pnnceton, 


SOCIAL  TRAITS.  537 

one  of  the  most  modest  men  that  ever  lived ;  yet  no  one 
ever  approached  him  without  the  conviction  that  he  was  a 
truly  great  man."'''  That  he  was  reserved  is  certain  ;  that 
he  was  sometimes  silent  and  distant  has  often  been  said  ;  but 
it  ought  to  be  added  that  in  such  silence  there  was  no  as- 
sumption of  dignity,  and  not  a  vestige  of  sullenness.  When 
he  shrunk  into  himself,  it  was  from  some  great  burden  on  his 
spirits  ;  for  in  the  presence  of  the  very  same  persons  he 
would  suddenly  come  out  of  his  temporary  gloom  with  a 
spring  and  suddenness  as  fitful  as  the  moods  of  infancy.  No 
man  had  less  of  what  may  be  called  moroseness. 

The  kindliness  of  his  temper,  was  known  to  all  with  whom 
he  ever  exchanged  hospitalities.  He  was  easily  pleased,  and 
even  to  an  extreme  ready  to  be  interested  in  whatever  inter- 
ested a  friend.  If  his  host  were  a  farmer,  he  was  untiring  in 
looking  at  his  grounds,  crops  and  stock  ;  if  he  were  a  scholar, 
quite  as  much  delighted  with  his  library  or  his  writings. 
Every  where  he  was  the  welcomed  friend  of  children  ;  among 
them  he  became  a  child  himself  In  his  own  house  these 
traits  of  course  manifested  themselves  in  a  thousand  ways 
which  cannot  be  exposed  to  the  public.  The  sacredness  of 
relation  to  a  beloved  wife  does  not  admit  of  delineation  ;  its 
tributes  of  affection  were  infinitely  above  the  blandishments 
of  a  juvenile  attachment.  They  were  all  the  world  to  each 
other  ;  and  each  had  that  which  was  complementary  of  the 
other's  character.  Surely  never  were  there  children  on  hap- 
pier terms  with  their  parents.    They  reverenced  their  father, 

*  Speech  of  George  Wood,  Esq.,  before  a  Committee  of  the  frieniJg  o< 
Daniel  Webster,  New- York,  May  1852,  page  10. 


538  BENIGNITY. 

but  their  approach  to  him  was  perfectly  free.  His  door  was 
always  open,  and  he  listened  to  every  childish  report  and 
narrative,  with  a  burst  of  unaffected  glee  such  as  they  never 
can  forget  or  see  again.  In  earlier  years  he  joined  in  their 
sports,  and  he  never  grew  too  old  to  be  as  loquacious  as 
themselves  about  all  their  innocent  jjleasures.  When  one 
of  them  entered  his  study — always  without  a  signal — how 
gaily,  how  brightly,  would  he  look  around  from  his  pen  or 
his  book  ;  and  how  would  the  smile  caused  by  any  little  do- 
mestic story  irradiate  his  face,  even  when  he  went  on  with 
his  labour  !  There  was  nothing  in  his  character  which  so 
much  caused  his  loss  to  be  felt  in  the  circle  of  his  intimates 
as  this  unfeigned  sympathy  with  what  was  interesting  to 
those  around  him.  It  was  an  intense  humanity,  which  enli- 
vened all  his  words,  gestures  and  acts.  This  kept  him  to  the 
very  close  freel}^  acquainted  with  passing  events,  as  well  of 
the  village  and  neighbourhood  as  of  the  Church  and  world. 
It  shone  out  in  his  regards  for  his  pupils.  Every  new  stu- 
dent was  reported  at  the  fireside.  He  habitually  looked  on 
them  all  with  a  benignant  allowance,  and  took  no  pleasure  in 
descanting  on  their  faults  ;  indeed  his  judgment  of  them 
leaned  towards  the  side  of  undue  favour.  He  followed  them 
in  their  wanderings,  and  met  them  after  the  lapse  of  years 
with  hearty  and  often  loud  salutations.  From  all  this  it 
may  be  gathered  that  in  his  brighter  days,  and  these  were 
the  more  numerous,  he  lived  in  a  perpetual  state  of  genial 
animation.  The  reverse  was  always  to  be  traced  to  physical 
causes,  and  to  the  morbid  susceptibility  of  a  temperament 
suspended  on  nerves  which  trembled  at  a  breeze.    Connected 


NATUKAL   POWERS.  539 

with  this  exuberance  of  feeling  was  the  childlike  sincerity 
and  transparent  candour,  which  did  not  even  know  how  to 
adopt  a  mask.  If  the  playfulness  of  his  evening  hours  ad- 
mitted of  description,  it  would  add  unusual  colours  of  in- 
terest to  our  imperfect  sketch.  These  peculiarities  often 
surprised  new  acquaintances,  who  had  previously  known  him 
only  from  his  works,  and  who  approached  him  as  a  man  of 
learning  and  a  grave  divine. 

The  mental  elasticity  of  which  we  have  spoken  had  its 
share  in  all  the  labours  of  his  research  and  all  his  attain- 
ments of  knowledge.  In  new  3.^1ds  he  evinced  for  many 
years  the  inquisitiveness  of  boyhood.  According  to  the  re- 
port of  his  friends,  this  was  what  attracted  the  attention  of 
his  teachers  while  he  was  in  early  youth.  It  is  true  they 
descried  also  the  promise  of  faculties  which  were  yet  to  be 
developed.  His  powers  seem  to  have  attained  maturity  in 
the  morning  of  his  life.  No  extravagance  or  indiscretion  has 
been  charged  upon  his  language  or  preaching  at  the  age  of 
nineteen.  To  estimate  the  quality  and  force  of  his  mind  with 
entire  justice,  would  demand  perhaps  a  biographer  of  fewer 
prepossessions.  We  think  we  reflect  the  opinions  of  other 
and  wise  judges,  when  we  ascribe  to  him  natural  powers 
much  above  the  common  order.  In  no  other  way  can  we 
account  for  his  having  emerged  so  early  into  general  esteem, 
not  to  say  admiration,  from  amidst  an  unlettered  circle  and 
in  the  face  of  great  difficulties.  Whatever  position  he  at- 
tained was  without  his  own  seeking  ;  and  as  truly  without 
the  adventitious  aids  of  variegated  diction  and  oratorical  dis- 
play ;  and  this  p  --  '  i-i  was  more  firmly  held  in  the  estimate 
of  none  than  of  ih(j6c  who  knew  him  most  closely. 


.540  HABITS   OF    THOUGHT. 

From  his  earliest  days  his  memory  was  remarkable,  ad 
we  have  had  occasion  to  say  before.  It  was  not  however  the 
memory  of  words  or  any  conventional  signs.  But  in  regard 
to  faces,  localities,  historical  events,  the  opinions  of  authors 
and  classes  of  men,  the  sources  of  knowledge,  and  above  all 
whatever  was  held  together  by  a  logical  thread,  his  recollec- 
tion almost  surpassed  belief.  We  have  heard  him  say  that 
any  interpretation  of  a  biblical  passage,  if  once  fixed  in  his 
mind,  never  left  it.  To  this  may  be  added  acuteness  and 
perspicacity,  in  regard  to  obscure  and  entangled  objects  and 
their  intricate  relations.  The  patience  of  his  investigation 
on  such  subjects  was  very  great.  He  loved  to  ponder  long, 
without  book  or  pen,  and  often  with  eyes  closed  or  in  dark- 
ness, upon  the  trains  of  metaphysical  and  theological  argu- 
ment, which  afterwards  became  the  staple  of  his  instructions. 
This  persistency  of  meditation  was  the  more  wonderful  in 
one  who  was  so  much  moved  by  impulse  and  so  given  to  ar- 
dent saUies.  If  we  understand  the  term,  he  was  eminently 
a  close  thinker.  He  weighed  his  terms,  as  the  instruments 
of  thought,  and  dwelt  long  on  the  sequence  of  apparently 
clear  propositions.  Hence  he  was  slow  in  coming  to  his  con- 
clusions on  important  mattei^s.  He  recommeixled  and  prac- 
tised the  survey  of  a  wide  field  in  order  to  safe  inductions. 
To  mental  labours  so  arduous  he  was  prompted  by  a  sincere 
love  of  truth.  And  the  consequence  was,  that  if  he  attained 
a  reputation  for  any  one  quality,  it  was  sound  judgment. 
Whatever  may  have  been  ascribed  to  him,  he  was  never  ac- 
cused of  rashness  in  the  formation  of  his  opinions.  After 
such  processes^  it  was  natural  that  he  was  not  subject  to  hasty 


DILIGENCE.  541 

changes.  His  system  of  philosophy  and  theology  took  its 
form  early  in  life,  and  was  avowed  by  him  with  firmness  on 
his  dying  bed.  When  his  thoughts  were  brought  to  bear  on 
practical  matters  and  questions  of  action,  the  same  qualities 
displayed  themselves,  in  the  way  of  what  is  justly  denominated 
wisdom.  We  have  already  observed  that  he  was  largely  ho- 
noured as  a  sound  adviser. 

In  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  his  discourses  displayed 
a  rich  vein  of  imagination.  Nothing  would  more  exhibit 
the  fertility  of  his  invention,  than  the  work  of  fictitious  nar- 
rative to  which  allusion  has  been  made.  In  his  printed 
works  there  are  few  traces  of  this  power.  But  when  he 
preached  in  the  free  method  which  was  most  familiar  to  him, 
he  would  sometimes  expatiate  in  descriptive  flights  which 
carried  away  his  hearers.  The  characteristic  caution  of  his 
mind,  however,  had  early  put  him  on  his  guard  against  the 
seductions  of  a  faculty  which  however  important,  often  works 
mischievous  disturbance  where  the  discovery  of  truth  is  in 
view  ;  he  therefore  unquestionably  pushed  forward  the  disci- 
pline of  his  thoughts  most  signally  in  the  direction  of  intel- 
lectual research  and  ratiocination. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  his  diligence  was 
unwearied,  until  the  very  end  of  his  course,  and  that  he  fell  in 
the  harness.  He  was  always  a  busy  man.  None  can  re- 
member him  as  ever  idle  or  ever  lounging.  It  was  only 
when  overtaken  by  the  debility  of  age  that  he  ever  was  accus- 
tomed to  assume  a  reclining  posture  during  the  day,  still  less 
did  he  ever  nod  in  his  chair.  From  morning  till  night,  year 
after  year,  when  not  engaged  in  devotion  or  some  social  in- 


M2  ATTAINMENTS. 

tercourse,  he  was  reading  or  writing.  Every  one  marvelled 
that  his  organs  could  hold  out.  His  vacations  were  not  less 
occupied  than  the  regular  terms  of  study. 

There  appears  to  he  a  discrepance  of  statement  among 
his  friends,  as  to  the  nature  and  amount  of  his  attainments  ; 
as  these  have  been  looked  at  from  different  points  of  view. 
Some  have  declared  them  to  have  been  deep  rather  than  ex- 
tensive ;  others  have  reversed  the  statement.  Those  who 
knew  them  best  regard  both  as  true,  in  a  certain  sense. 
From  his  great  avidity  of  knowledge  and  the  rare  versatility 
of  his  tastes  and  faculties,  he  was  all  his  life  a  reader  in  va- 
rious fields.  With  the  exception  of  the  modern  languages 
and  natural  history,  we  know  of  no  branches  of  science  or 
literature  which  he  did  not  cultivate,  at  some  time  or  other. 
But  in  these  widely  separate  domains  he  did  not  pretend  to 
make  exact  or  technical  progress  ;  in  these  therefore  his  re- 
searches could  not  be  said  to  be  profound.  In  a  certain 
round  of  sciences,  however,  he  penetrated  with  a  thorough- 
ness and  minute  accuracy  of  detail  which  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  exaggerate.  We  refer  to  the  Scriptures,  to  theology 
in  all  its  parfes,  and  to  the  preparations  and  auxiliaries  of 
these.  The  Philosophy  of  the  Mind  and  Moral  Science 
were  his  perpetual  study.  On  these  he  constantly  exercised 
his  thoughts  ;  and  if  there  was  any  department  of  knowledge 
in  which  he  excelled,  it  was  the  observation  of  his  own 
mental  states  and  exercises.  In  regard  to  this  branch  of 
philosophy,  he  was  acquainted  with  all  that  could  be  obtained 
from  ancient  and  modern  authors,  and  was  able  with  dis- 
tinctness to  rehearse  the  tenets  of  masters  and  of  schools 


COLLOQUIAL   TALENT.  543 

Of  his  long  continued  studies  in  theology  we  have  already 
given  some  account.  Scarcely  less  versed  was  he  in  history, 
both  civil  and  ecclesiastical.  To  which  may  be  added  his 
attainments  in  bibliography,  physical  and  poHtical  geogra- 
phy, and  in  politics  and  general  law  as  connected  with 
morals.  On  all  these  matters,  the  only  wonder  is,  that  the 
mass  of  his  reading  had  not  overwhelmed  the  original  vigour 
of  his  understanding.  In  all  these  his  attainments  may  be 
declared  to  have  been  profound. 

In  the  communication  to  others  of  all  that  he  knew  he 
took  great  delight,  as  has  been  stated  in  the  narrative.  So 
far  as  we  know,  there  is  but  one  testimony  as  to  his  collo- 
quial powers.  He  was  not  a  perpetual  or  an  exacting  talker. 
There  were  days  when  his  mouth  was  sealed  ;  and  in  his 
free  moments  he  had  also  his  times  of  reserve.  He  never 
allowed  himself  to  become  the  haranguer  of  a  coterie,  and  in 
large  companies  was  with  difficulty  drawn  out.  When  he 
did  speak,  it  was  without  the  tone  or  mien  of  the  orator. ' 
Yet  thousands  will  remember  the  instructive  entertainment 
and  awakening  derived  from  his  colloquial  flow.  This  was 
chiefly  opened  in  his  own  family  circle,  and  at  the  houses  of 
his  friends.  The  peculiar  hilarity  and  rapidity  and  variety 
of  his  household  discourse  can  scarcely  be  represented  ;  in 
his  later  days  he  had  strong  points  of  resemblance  in  these 
respects  to  Mr.  Gallatin  and  Chancellor  Kent.  There  were 
the  same  sudden  transitions  and  the  same  dashes  of  humour. 
At  times,  when  he  gave  himself  scope  and  yielded  to  strong 
emotion,  these  utterances  were  scarcely  different  from  his 
great  pulpit  efforts.     As  he  evidently  talked  for  the  simple 


544  CONVERSATION. 

purpose  of  unbosoming  his  present  sentiments,  the  range  of 
his  remark  was  extensive  ;  he  talked  of  every  thing  that  in- 
terested him,  but  chiefly  of  that  which  had  last  awakened 
his  mind.  The  most  serious  studies  of  the  morning  were 
often  given  out  in  distillation  to  his  household  and  friends. 
He  rehearsed  the  histojy  of  his  contemporaries  and  the 
stirring  news  of  the  day.  But  he  gave  himself  up  to  [the 
current  of  topics,  and  seldom  forced  his  own  subject  on 
others.  It  was  his  universal  practice  to  converse  with  visit- 
ors on  those  things  with  which  they  were  most  familiar.  By 
this  means  he  enabled  them  to  show  their  best  side,  while  he 
was  gaining  stores  of  varied  information,  in  regard  to  new 
countries  and  remote  places  and  people.  When  a  clergyman 
or  a  new  student  came  from  some  region  concerning  which 
he  knew  little,  this  examinatory  process  was  sometimes  car- 
ried on  for  hours  ;  and  the  results  were  sure  to  be  given  out 
again  with  minuteness  and  animation,  at  the  next  fireside 
meeting.  Indeed  such  was  his  love  of  communicating  with 
his  friends,  that  in  these  cases  he  would  often  come  with  im- 
mense haste  and  glowing  features  into  the  parlour,  and  with 
pen  in  hand  keep  the  floor  for  a  good  half  hour  in  relating 
the  cheering  intelligence  ;  darting  back  to  his  books  with  an 
amusing  precipitation. 

His  sense  of  the  ludicrous  was  acute  ;  hence  he  was  a 
delightful  listener  to  all  entertaining  visitors,  and  a  hearty 
laugher  of  the  best  old  school.  Dr.  Rice,  himself  a  very 
grave  man,  Dr.  Speece,  Dr.  John  Breckinridge  and  Dr. 
Young,  possessed  a  great  power  over  his  feelings  in  this  re- 
spect.    The  number  of  visitors  in  his  study  was  so  large  as 


CONVERSATION.  545 

often  to  become  a  sort  of  levee,  at  which  whole  forenoons 
were  consumed,  in  the  most  cheerful  intercourse  ;  nor  did  he 
ever  consider  this  as  lost  time,  always  preferring  the  converse 
of  the  living  to  that  of  the  dead.  The  humblest  callers  at 
his  door,  not  excepting  beggars,  engaged  him  in  long  and 
animated  dialogues.  These  were  frequently  wound  up  with 
an  extended  and  pungent  exhortation  to  the  new  comer. 
There  was  an  old  stroller,  who  came  at  short  periods,  and  re- 
ceived a  frown  at  many  a  house,  but  who  always  found  Dr. 
Alexander  ready  to  question  and  advise  him.  One  of  his 
choicest  refreshments  was  to  chat  with  children,  and  he  had 
the  faculty  of  winning  their  confidence  in  a  moment.  It 
was  very  uncommon  for  the  hours  of  meals  to  be  passed 
without  free  and  full  conversation.  It  is  hardly  needful  to 
say  that  none  of  these  colloquies  disclosed  any  desire  of  dis- 
play. He  was  a  great  questioner,  it  must  be  confessed,  but 
not  with  a  view  of  either  gauging  or  puzzling  others  ;  it  was 
to  increase  his  own  stores,  and  he  was  always  inquiring  and 
always  learning.  Of  set  and  formal  religious  conversation 
he  practised  little.  Religion  transpired  through  all  his  words 
and  looks.  Occasional  remarks  of  a  spiritual  kind  were  ever 
and  anon  thrown  in.  When  his  heart  was  full,  it  ran  over 
the  brim  ;  but  he  relied  little  upon  studied  exhortations  in 
ordinaiy  circles.  In  private  he  often,  almost  daily,  discoursed 
to  individuals  on  the  most  sacred  and  confidential  parts  of 
experimental  religion.  To  the  doubting,  desponding  and  be- 
reaved, he  was  always  a  soothing  and  welcome  visitor.  By 
the  bedside  of  those  who  were  ill  or  dying,  he  attained  an 
elevation  of  consolatory  power  which  has  made  many  such 


546  PREACHING. 

occasions  memorable  for  a  lifetime.  The  tenderness  of  hh 
heart  made  him  a  reluctant  reprover  ;  but  when  he  opened 
his  lips  for  this  purpose  his  words  were  keen  and  scorching, 
often  we  suppose  beyond  his  intention.  It  is  to  be  added, 
that  his  love  of  conversation  and  his  social  faculties  abode 
in  perfect  strength,  until  he  was  on  the  very  verge  of  the 
grave. 

From  his  conversation  the  transition  is  easy  to  his  preach- 
ing, which  was,  more  than  can  be  said  of  most,  an  expansion 
of  his  ordinary  discourse.  It  is  a  topic  which  we  have 
touched  upon  more  than  once  ;  our  purpose  now  is  only  to 
gather  together  a  few  additional  remarks  and  reminiscences. 
The  true  notion  of  Dr.  Alexander's  preaching  will  not  be  ob- 
tained, unless  we  consider  elevated  conversation  as  the  root 
out  of  which  it  grew.  Protract  the  remarks,  enlarge  the 
circle  of  auditors,  give  correspondent  stimulation  to  mind 
and  feeling,  and  all  the  rest  follows  of  course.  Though  a 
theologian,  and  that  of  the  sterner  and  stricter  sort,  he  did 
not  deliver  theological  lectures  from  the  pulpit.  Formal  and 
elaborate  argumentation  on  doctrinal  points  was  not  common 
in  his  sermons.  It  is  true,  he  expounded  and  defended  the 
great  doctrines  of  the  faith,  but  it  was  in  a  method  which 
was  homiletical  and  popular,  rather  than  scholastically  didac- 
tic. Nothing  could  be  more  unlike  his  doctrinal  sermons 
than  the  dry  and  attenuated  diatribes  of  certain  metaphysical 
divines  of  the  last  century.  It  was  the  Scottish  school  of 
sermonizing  which  he  most  nearly  approached  ;  varieties  of 
which  may  be  studied  in  Finley,  Davies  and  Waddel.  Even 
when  his  object  was  to  establish  doctrine,  he  preferred  the 


rREACHING.  547 

textual  method.  His  division  and  treatment  of  the  subject 
were  generally  governed  by  the  text.  Any  figure  which  it 
contained  was  apt  to  colour  the  whole  discourse. 

There  is  a  testimony  here  to  be  added,  which  from  the 
eminent  source  from  which  it  flows  will  not  fail  to  command 
the  respect  of  every  reader.  It  is  from  Joseph  Henry,  LL.  D., 
the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute,* 

PROFESSOR   HENRY    TO   THE    AUTHOR. 

"  Smithsonian  Institution,  Washington,  J 
January  31,  1854.        ) 

"  My  Dear  Sir  :— 

"  Your  letter  requesting  my  recollections  of  your  lament- 
ed father  was  duly  received,  but  a  pressure  of  business  con- 
nected with  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Kegents 
has  prevented  me  from  answering  it  before  this  evening. 

"  It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  recall  to  my  mind  the 
first  discourse  I  heard  him  deliver.  It  was  a  simple  and  ap- 
parently unpremeditated  exposition  of  truths  highly  impor- 
tant to  the  young,  and  admirably  adapted  to  the  students  of 
the  college  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  I  say  apparently  un- 
premeditated, though  it  must  have  been  the  result  of  much 
previous  reflection  in  the  way  of  settling  definitely  in  his 
mind  important  general  principles. 

"  I  think  Dr.  Alexander  had  a  remarkable  faculty  of  philo- 
sophic generalization,  and  it  was  this  that  made  him  em- 

*  *  This  admirable  letter,  though  pertinent  here,  would  have  found  its 
exact  connection  better  at  an  earlier  place ;  but  it  came  to  our  handa 
*^hile  this  very  page  was  going  through  the  press. 


548  PHILOSOPHICAL    HABITS. 

phatically  a  full  man.  He  was  enabled  to  discourse  by  tht 
hour,  not  from  mere  memory,  but  in  the  way  of  deduction 
from  the  general  truths  which  he  had  made  his  own,  and 
which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  applying  to  the  conduct  and  du- 
ties of  life.  For  example — in  the  discourse  to  which  I  have 
alluded  ;  he  discussed  the  great  principle  of  the  permanency 
of  early  impressions  upon  the  character,  of  the  philosophy 
of  habit,  the  importance  of  a  good  reputation  commencing 
with  the  boy,  of  the  negative  influence  of  a  single  bad  act 
committed  in  a  moment  of  thoughtlessness  which  might 
neutralize  almost  a  life  of  benevolent  action  ;  of  the  influ- 
ence possessed  by  every  individual,  and  of  the  responsibility 
connected  with  it. 

"  He  had  studied  in  early  life  the  subject  of  mental  phi- 
losophy, and  had  adopted  the  principles  of  the  inductive 
method.  All  ideas  he  considered  as  derived  from  sensation 
or  consciousness,  and  without  attempting  to  explain  the  es- 
sence of  mind  or  of  matter,  he  contented  himself  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  laws  of  their  phenomena,  and  with -refer- 
ring these  to  the  will  of  the  Creator  of  the  universe.  All 
knowledge  superior  to  this  was  derived  from  revelation,  the 
truths  of  which,  however  mysterious  and  beyond  reason,  he 
adopted  with  implicit  confidence.  He  was  much  interested 
in  all  questions  of  physical  science,  and  particularly  in  the 
researches  in  which  I  was  engaged.  All  his  conceptions  of 
truth  were  simple  and  clear.  His  was  not  a  mere  speculative 
faith,  or  a  theoretical  system  of  Christian  duty,  but  one 
which  was  eminently  reduced  to  practice.  He  taught  by  his 
example  as  well  as  by  his  precepts,  and  his  influence  will 


.    THE   GOSPEL.  549 

long  live  after  him,  not  only  in  his  published  works,  but  in 
the  memory  of  his  pupils,  and  in  its  effect  on  the  character 
and  conduct  of  all  who  enjoyed  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  his 
quaintance. 

"  I  consider  it  one  of  the  most  happy  circumstances  of 
my  life,  that  I  was  permitted  so  long  to  enjoy  the  acquaint- 
ance and  friendship  of  so  good  and  so  great  a  man,  and  to 
live  under  his  influence. 

"  I  remain,  very  truly,  your  friend  and  servant, 

"Joseph  Henry." 

Experimental,  casuistical,  practical,  consolatory  preach- 
ing, may  be  said  to  have  been  the  field  of  his  strength.  In 
dissecting  the  heart,  unravelling  long  trains  of  experience, 
discovering  hidden  refuges,  holding  the  mirror  up  to  self- 
deceiving  souls,  and  flashing  rays  of  gracious  hope  on  the 
lingering  and  self-righteous,  he  was  equalled  by  few.  He 
gloried  in  preaching  a  free  Gospel.  The  longer  he  lived,  the 
more  >vide,  cordial  and  generous  was  his  offer  of  Christ  to 
the  chief  of  sinners.  Not  for  an  instant  was  he  ever  tempted 
to  join  with  those  who,  because  of  the  abuses  of  Anti- 
nomianism,  would  tamper  with  sovereign  boundless  gratu- 
itous salvation,  or  hang  legal  weights  on  the  wings  of  ascend- 
ing faith.  So  high  a  value  did  he  set  upon  the  maintenance 
of  an  awakened  interest  among  hearers,  that  he  never  en- 
tered on  any  avowed  series  of  discourses,  or  wearied  out  his 
auditors  by  numerous  sermons  on  the  same  text.  Here  liis 
practice  concurred  with  the  reported  remarks  of  Cecil,  in 
his  Remains.      The   strong  historical,   we  might  even  say 


550  MODE   OF    PREPARATION. 

biographical  turn  of  his  mind,  led  him  to  dwell  much  on 
scriptural  personages.  Surviving  hearers  will  remember  his 
portraitures  of  Abraham  and  Joseph,  of  Ruth,  Eli  and  Han- 
nah, of  Josiah  and  Daniel,  of  Paul  and  John.  In  connec- 
tion with  the  same  trait,  he  was  uncommonly  large  in  his 
delineation  of  individual  types  of  Christian  life,  or  what  may 
be  called  characteristic  preaching.  Here  he  evinced  his  deli- 
cate acquaintance  with  the  anatomy  of  saint  and  sinner. 
The  outline  was  firm  and  unmistakable,  and  the  hues  bright 
and  decided.  Such  p'ctures  of  particular  experience  dwell 
in  the  recollection  of  his  hearers,  who  often  felt  the  probe 
entering  their  consciences  to  the  very  quick.  To  sum  up 
what  concerns  the  matter  of  his  preaching,  he  set  forth  the 
whole  system  of  Divine  truth,  with  a  felicitous  mixture  of 
doctrine  and  experience ;  not  separately  but  intimately 
blended  ;  the  didactic  warp  being  traversed  by  a  woof  of 
variegated  emotion  ;  the  steel  links  of  reasoning  being  often 
red  with  the  ardours  of  burning  love. 

Modes  of  preparation  for  preaching  are  always  matter  of 
lively  interest  to  preachers  ;  and  it  is  wonderful  how  much 
they  differ.  Dr.  Alexander  was  never  accustomed  to  tell  of 
his  own  ways,  or  to  enjoin  them  upon  others.  Perhaps  he 
was  extreme  in  his  disposition  to  let  every  man  "  scuffle 
through  his  experiment,''  as  he  used  to  call  it,  so  as  to  alight 
on  the  plan  which  was  best  for  himself  His  written  ser- 
mons were  his  later  ones.  For  the  most  part  they  were  the 
reproduction  of  trains  of  thought  which  he  had  arranged  in 
his  head  many  years  before.  It  is  not  known  that  his  mode 
of  bringing  these  to  paper  had  any  thing  peculiar.     He  waa 


PREMEDITATION.  551 

fond  of  saying,  that  if  lie  wished  to  produce  a  discourse  bet- 
ter than  common,  on  a  new  subject,  he  should  like  to  write 
away  as  fast  as  he  could,  and  even  voluminously.  This  he 
called  getting  the  rock  out  of  the  quarry.  During  this  pro- 
cess he  thought  two  good  results  were  pretty  sure,  to  ensue. 
One  was  that  the  writer  would  strike  on  some  "rich  vein" 
(another  of  his  phrases)  out  of  which  he  might  draw  the 
chief  wealth  of  his  discourse  ;  the  other  was,  that  he  would 
find  the  rudiments  of  a  method  and  partition  emerge  out  of 
this  at  first  chaotic  mass.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  he  thought 
the  arrangement  should  be  completed  ;  and  then  he  would 
sit  down  and  put  the  sermon  into  its  final  form,  by  an  entire 
new  writing.  This  device  no  doubt  originated  in  his  long- 
practised  method  of  thinking  long  and  arduously  on  the 
topics  which  he  meant  to  discuss  without  notes.  His  writ- 
ten sermons  however  are  but  the  bony  structure  of  his  preach- 
ing ;  they  lack  the  illustrations,  descriptions,  fliglit  and  pa- 
thos of  his  freer  productions. 

It  has  been  said,  even  to  repetition,  that  his  chosen 
method  of  preparation  was  independent  of  the  pen.  Mr. 
Gallatin  once  said  to  us  :  "I  know  nothing  of  what  is  called 
growing  warm  in  writing.  In  my  most  elaborate  speeches, 
I  have  prepared  the  matter  mentally  ;  and  when  I  have  had 
to  write,  I  have  frequently  walked  up  and  down  the  floor, 
and  collected  my  material  and  given  it  shape  and  diction, 
just  as  if  I  were  speaking  off-hand.''  In  our  belief,  this 
would  be  a  just  description  of  Dr.  Alexander's  experience. 
Long  and  silent  meditation  preceded  his  great  eiforts.  In 
this  he  declared  that  he  dismissed  all  consideration  of  the 


052  PREPARATION. 

language  to  be  employed,  deliberately  thinking  that  this 
would  suggest  itself  best  during  delivery.  Neither  did  he 
prearrange  the  exact  sequence  of  sentences  or  even  of  propo- 
sitions ;  leaving  the  mind  free  to  work  in  new  directions  while 
speaking.  He  used  to  declare  that  he  preferred  not  to  bur- 
den his  mind  with  the  recollection  of  a  single  expression 
which  had  occurred  to  him  in  his  study.  Such  was  his  facul- 
ty of  abstraction  and  concentration,  that  these  preparatory 
lucubrations  were  conducted  in  walking,  riding,  or  even  sitting 
among  his  children.  He  would  say  laughingly  that  he  often 
could  think  to  most  purpose,  when  there  was  a  little  clatter 
of  voices  around  him.  Hence  it  was  surprising  to  observe 
how  little  he  shut  himself  up  before  preaching  ;  when  he  did 
so,  it  was  with  a  devotional  end  in  view.  He  was  a  great 
advocate  of  habitual,  as  distinguished  from  special  prepara- 
tion. His  individual  sermons  were  chapters  from  a  very  co- 
pious volume  in  his  head.  Though  he  seldom  spoke  of  these 
things,  he  once  told  us,  that  being  about  to  preach  on  a  text 
from  that  part  of  Scripture,  he  had  rapidly  perused  the  whole 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews  ;  and  at  another  time  that  he  had  in 
like  manner  read  the  whole  Gospel  of  John  over  in  Greek, 
on  the  Sunday  morning.  On  a  single  point,  our  recollections 
vary  from  those  of  some  authorities  to  whom  we  defer  with 
high  respect.  It  strikes  us  that  in  general,  he  not  only  divi- 
ded his  subject  with  distinctness,  but  declared  the  heads  of 
his  argument.  The  other  mode  we  regard  as  the  exception 
to  his  common  rule.  This  is  confirmed  by  a  reference  to  his 
printed  sermons  and  his  manuscripts.  He  knew  very  little 
medium  between  reading  closely,  and  speaking  without  any 

44 


SOLEMN   VIEW    OF   THE    WORK.  553 

notes.  The  bit  of  paper  which  he  usually  laid  on  the  Bible 
scarcely  deserves  the  name.  It  was  seldom  of  more  than 
ten  lines,  and  was  often  not  looked  at  ;  indeed  he  said  that 
he  used  it  as  a  precaution  against  a  total  loss  of  memory  as 
to  text,  topic  and  plan,  which  used  to  befall  him  in  his 
younger  days.  These  scraps  of  writing  were  not  intended  as 
aids  in  preparation.  We  have  no  knowledge  of  his  ever 
using  what  is  called  "  a  full  brief"  He  frequently  ceased  to 
read  what  he  had  prepared,  and  interpolated  new  trains  of 
argument  which  occurred  to  him,  and  in  other  cases  even  did 
not  return  to  his  manuscript  at  all.  This  was  true  in  regard 
to  some  of  his  most  effective  sermons,  which  were  thus  drawn 
out  to  as  much  as  ninety  minutes. 

He  never  seemed  to  look  on  preaching  from  its  literary  or 
rhetorical  side.  To  him  it  was  a  high  spiritual  function, 
and  he  approached  it  with  much  of  the  awe  which  had  at- 
tended his  first  efibrts.  It  is  believed  that  some  trepidation 
preceded  every  discourse  wliich  he  delivered  ;  as  Luther  re- 
ports concerning  himself.  Far  more  than  is  common,  and 
beyond  what  he  ever  explicitly  declared,  he  seems '  to  have 
believed  in  special  aids,  elevations  and  illuminations,  con- 
ferred on  the  preacher  during  his  delivery  of  the  message  ; 
such  afflatus  from  the  Spirit  he  was  accustomed  to  distin- 
guish from  the  personal  graces  of  the  preacher.  These  im- 
pressions doubtless  brought  his  mind  into  a  state  highly  sus- 
ceptible of  those  gusts  of  sudden  feeling,  which  sometimes 
swayed  not  only  himself,  but  whole  assemblies.  Perhaps 
this,  rather  than  any  rhetorical  canon,  led  him  invariably  to 
begin  his  discourse  in  the  most   simple,  subdued,  and  if  wq 


554  STYLE. 

may  so  speak,  expectant  manner.  It  was  the  tone  of  ordi- 
nary conversation  on  an  important  subject.  Hardly  any 
thing  could  be  augured  from  his  beginning.  He  allowed 
himself  to  rise  and  glow  in  a  manner  almost  imperceptible. 
As  might  be  expected,  he  did  not  always  soar  ;  but  when  he 
.iid,  it  was  without  effort  and  without  abruptness.  As  he 
kindled,  his  language  became  more  vivid,  ornate,  and  power- 
ful ;  it  even  acquired  an  elegant  fitness  and  accuracy,  which  is 
not  found  in  his  writings.  Towards  the  close  of  his  greatest 
sermons,  the  audience  was  usually  in  a  state  of  rapt  atten- 
tion ;  nothing  was  more  common  than  for  people  to  bay  that 
they  would  gladly  have  listened  to  him  all  day. 

The  style  of  his  more  impassioned  preaching  was  inde- 
scribably warmer  and  more  coloured  than  any  thing  which 
he  has  left  in  writing.  Yet  it  was  always  simple,  and  can- 
not be  better  described  than  in  words  which  Dr.  Arnold  uses 
of  his  own  :  "I  am  sure  an  attempt  at  ornament  would  make 
my  style  so  absurd,  that  you  would  yourself  laugh  at  it  I 
could  not  do  it  naturally,  for  I  have  now  so  habituated  my- 
self to  that  unambitious  and  plain  way  of  writing,  and  ab- 
sence of  Latin  words  as  much  as  possible,  that  I  could  not 
write  otherwise  without  manifest  affectation.'*  In  his  most 
elevated  passages  Dr.  Alexander  never  indulged  in  the  sweep 
of  periodic  and  climacteric  sentences.  And  as  his  style,  such 
was  his  delivery.  Gesture  was  forced  from  him,  and  was  not 
undulatory  or  studiously  graceful  ;  he  had  no  dread  of  th« 
abrupt  or  the  angular  in  his  motions.  Those  who  speak  of 
his  voice  as  shrill,  must  be  governed  by  the  remembrance  of 
later  days,  when  he  could  make  himself  heard  furthest  in  his 


MANNER.  555 

apper  notes.  In  youth  and  in  his  prime,  his  tones  were  silvery 
and  his  modulation  exceedingly  varied.  The  lower  and  even 
whispering  modes  of  speech  were  often  very  effective.  His 
inflections,  especially  at  the  close  of  sentences,  were  all  his 
own,  and  were  unlike  those  laid  down  in  the  books  ;  it  was 
an  attempt  to  reproduce  these  which  made  some  of  his  imi- 
tators quite  ridiculous.  The  language  of  his  eye  was  extra- 
ordinary, even  to  a  proverb.  He  was  wont  to  fix  his  glance 
on  individual  hearers,  with  a  penetration  which  often  pro- 
duced painful  shrinking.  We  have  no  remembrance  of  ever 
seeing  him  weep  in  preaching,  even  when  almost  a  whole  as- 
sembly was  in  tears.  The  impression  upon  his  hearers  was 
at  times  so  extraordinary,  that  we  do  not  allow  ourselves  to 
describe  it  in  detail.  One  quality  was  never  absent,  whether 
he  was  gently  familiar  or  suddenly  impetuous  ;  he  main- 
tained the  unbroken  interest  of  the  a'ssembly,  however  long 
he  spoke.  He  once  said  of  Summerfield,  whom  he  greatly 
admired,  that  this  wonderful  young  orator  possessed  the  art 
of  keeping  up  fixed  attention  and  awakened  expectation  ; 
and  that  it  consisted  in  passing  rapidly  from  point  to  point, 
never  dwelling  on  a  thought  when  once  it  was  fully  lodged, 
never  beating  his  material  too  thin,  and  thus  never  allowing 
the  hearer's  mind  to  get  before  him.  It  may  be  inferred 
from  this  that  he  depended  little  on  rhetorical  amplification. 
The  beautiful  illustrations  which  sometimes  arose  like  visions 
before  his  audience,  seldom  held  them  long  ;  but  he  often 
added  scene  to  scene  with  a  fehcity  which  was  above  all  art, 
and  which  was  evidently  the  result  of  thoughts  suggested 
at  the  moment.     It  was  manifest  from  his  manner,  that  in 


556  PERSONAL   RELIGION. 

addition  to  all  he  had  preconceived,  liis  mind  was  working 
strongly  in  new  directions,  while  he  was  in  the  act  of  speak- 
ing. At  such  times  his  eye  would  fix  itself  on  vacancy,  or 
on  some  distant  ohject,  revealing  by  its  peculiar  expression 
that  he  had  almost  lost  sight  of  his  audience,  and  was  ex- 
patiating in  tracks  of  original  musing.  But  we  despair  of 
conveying  any  precise  notion  of  his  peculiar  manner  to 
those  who  never  heard  him  in  the  day  of  his  unbroken 
physical  vigour  ;  es.pecially  as  we  cannot  suppose  that  our 
ears  were  not  held  by  the  fascination  of  a  filial  partiality 
which  cannot  be  largely  shared,  and  which  must  be  our  ex- 
cuse if  we  overstate  the  case. 

In  the  period  when  he  made  preaching  his  great  business, 
his  labours  were  every  where  owned  of  Grod  to  the  awakening 
and  conversion  of  many  souls  ;  and  all  through  his  life  such 
tokens  were  granted  to  him  from  time  to  time.  Yet  it  is 
believed,  that  his  work  was  far  more  remarkable  in  edifying 
the  body  of  Christ,  simplifying  and  enforcing  the  statements 
of  doctrine,  removing  scruples,  nourishing  faith,  stimulating 
to  holy  life,  and  consoling  the  tempted  and  distressed.  In 
these  fields,  the  efiects  of  his  labours,  being  more  remote 
from  public  notice,  are  beyond  all  calculation,  and  must  be 
left  for  the  disclosures  of  the  other  world. 

In  closing  our  survey,  we  may  be  expected  to  say 
something  of  his  personal  piety ;  yet  nowhere  have  we 
so  much  felt  the  burden  of  our  task.  If  the  general 
tenour  of  this  narrative  has  not  set  him  forth  as  one  who 
was  eminently  sanctified,  we  should  fail  to  reach  this 
end  by  heaping  up  assertory  declarations.     If,  as  a  genial 


DEVOTION — PRUDENCE.  557 

writer  has  said,  "  we  should  be  modest  foi  a  modest  man, 
as  he  is  for  himself/' — reserve  on  this  point  is  the  more 
demanded ;  for  of  all  the  human  beings  we  ever  knew  he 
was  the  most  silent  about  his  own  personal  experience. 
A-t  certain  times  he  entered  into  his  closet,  and  shut  the 
door,  but  in  what  manner  he  conducted  his  private  exercises, 
no  mortal,  we  believe,  is  competent  to  relate.  In  these 
hours  he  is  thought  to  have  made  more  use  than  is  common 
of  the  original  Scriptures.  He  had  a  way  of  chanting  to 
himself  the  Hebrew  Psalms  ;  for  many  years  using  for  this 
purpose  a  beautiful  psalter,  which  was  the  gift  of  Dr.  Hodge. 
From  what  was  observed  by  his  family,  and  from  what  he 
recommended  to  others,  it  is  supposed  that  he  spent  much 
time  in  deliberate  spiritual  contemplation.  His  piety  was  to 
a  remarkable  degree  blended  with  his  system  of  truth.  In 
his  mind  doctrine  and  experience  were  inseparable.  This 
was  consistent  with  the  high  place  which  he  always  assigned 
to  spiritual  understanding  and  to  faith.  He  observed  fre- 
quent days  of  entire  seclusion,  sometimes  adding  an  absti- 
nence which  was  almost  rigorous. 

Prudence  was  a  prominent  trait  in  his  character.  That 
this  did  not  sometimes  degenerate  into  excessive  solicitude 
and  caution,  we  will  not  assert.  The  courage  of  adventurous 
daring,  he  possessed  in  his  youth.  The  courage  which  ena- 
bled him  to  maintain  his  judgments,  not  only  against  all 
opponents  but  often  against  all  friends,  he  might  well  claim 
all  his  days.  It  was  kindred  to  his  great  sincerity,  candour 
and  love  of  truth.  In  his  most  unguarded  moments,  he 
was  never  known  to  exaggerate  a  statement.     He  was  free 


558  HUMILITY — BENEVOLENCE. 

fi-om  censorlousness  of  judgment,  and  scrupulous  in  speaking 
evil  of  any  human  being.  Hence  he  passed  a  long  life, 
almost  absolutely  free  from  strife  with  any  fellow-creature. 
If  he  had  enemies,  they  are  unknown  to  us.  In  all  the 
circle  of  his  acquaintance  he  was  not  more'  truly  reverenced 
than  loved. 

Of  nothing  did  he  seem  so  much  in  dread  as  of  pride. 
From  numerous  indirect  statements,  we  judge  it  to  be  what 
he  regarded  as  his  easily  besetting  sin.  Its  outward  manifes- 
tations were  however  as  rare  in  him  as  in  any  man.  It 
seems  to  us  that  his  whole  life  was  an  arduous  study  of  hu- 
mility. While  he  was  burdened  with  a  sense  of  indwelling 
sin,  he  was  eminently  free  from  doubts  as  to  his  own  accept- 
ance with  God.  Though  he  never  said  so,  we  are  persuaded 
that  his  habitual  state  of  mind  was  one  of  confirmed  assu- 
rance. His  conversation,  sermons  and  books  show  that  he 
set  the  highest  value  on  personal  communion  with  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  as  the  very  heart  of  religion  and  happiness. 
On  this  subject,  his  sentiments  often  arose  to  a  blissful  rap- 
ture ;  something  of  which  he  was  enabled  to  communicate  to 
others 

As  practice  is  the  great  criterion  of  piety,  we  may  confi- 
dently refer  to  this.  His  whole  life  was  spent  in  an  endea- 
vour to  do  as  much  good  as  was  within  liis  power.  Without 
unduly  lifting  the  domestic  veil,  it  would  be  impracticable 
to  represent  how  gentle,  how  tender,  how  sympathizing, 
how  anticipative  of  every  emergency,  how  laborious,  how 
delicate  and  yet  how  faithful,  he  was  to  those  who  were 
nearest  to  him.     This  kindhness  extended  itself  to  a  wide 


CONCLUSION.  559 

circle.  He  was  perpetually  teeming  with  plans  f(jr  the  good 
of  mankind.  His  inventive  faculty,  in  regard  to  charitable 
schemes,  was  a  striking  trait  in  his  character.  A  bare  survey 
of  the  books  and  papers  which  he  wrote,  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  applied  his  learning,  suffices  to  show  the  benevo- 
lence of  his  soul. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  during  most  of  his  life  he 
suffered  from  inward  struggles  and  temptations.  Yet  again 
and  again  did  he  come  forth  from  his  study  radiant  with 
spiritual  refreshment.  His  religion  was  characteristically 
composing  and  tranquil.  As  he  advanced  in  years  he  became 
more  and  more  happy ;  until  at  the  very  close  he  was  hap- 
piest of  all.  In  those  last  hours  his  lips  were  unsealed  on 
many  points  concerning  which  he  had  been  as  silent  as  the 
grave  ;  and  he  revealed  some  glimpses  of  that  "  secret  of  the 
Lord  "  which  had  been  his  portion  for  years.  All  was  sym- 
metrical and  consistent,  and  hence  one  of  the  chief  difficul- 
ties of  description.  Of  his  entire  course  there  was  nothing 
more  true  to  nature  and  to  grace  than  its  close.  The  intel- 
ligent tranquillity  which  there  reigned  was  beyond  any  pcwers 
of  recital.      Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the 


PUBLICATIONS. 

The  following  is  as  complete  a  list  as  our  memory  enables 
us  to  produce,  of  those  books  and  pamphlets  of  which  Dr. 
Alexander  can  justly  be  considered  as  the  author. 

A    Sermon   at   the   opening   of  the   General   Assembly. 
PhUadelphia,  1808. 

A  Discourse  occasioned  by  the  burning  of  the  Theatre  in 
the  City  of  Richmond,  Va.,  on  the  26th  of  December,  1811. 
Philadelphia,  1812.  pp.  28. 

An  Inaugural  Discourse  delivered  at  Princeton.  New- 
York,  1814. 

A  Missionary  Sermon  before  the  General  Assembly. 
Philadelphia,  1813. 

A  Brief  Outline  of  the  Evidences  of  the  Christian  Reli- 
gion.    Princeton,  1825.     12mo. 

The  Canon  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  ascertained  ; 
or  the  Bible  complete  without  the  Apocrypha  and  Unwritten 
Traditions.     12mo. 

A  Sermon  to  Young  Men,  preached  in  the  Chapel  of  the 
College  of  New  Jersey.     1826. 


PUBLICATIONS.  561 

Suggestions  in  Vindication  of  Sunday  Schools.  Phila- 
delphia, 1829. 

Growth  in  Grace.  Two  Sermons  in  the  National 
Preacher.     New- York,  1829. 

A  Sermon  before  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions.     1829. 

A  Selection  of  Hymns,  adapted  to  the  Devotions  of  the 
Closet,  the  Family  and  the  Social  Circle,  and  containing 
subjects  appropriate  to  the  Monthly  Concerts  of  Prayer  for 
the  success  of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools.  New- York, 
1831.     (Seven  hundred  and  forty-two  hymns.) 

The  Pastoral  Office.  A  Sermon  preached  in  Philadelphia, 
before  the  Association  of  the  Alumni  of  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  Princeton,  May  21, 1834.  Philadelphia,  1834.  pp.  30. 

The  Lives  of  the  Patriarchs.  American  Sunday  School 
Union.     1835.     18mo.  pp.  168. 

History  of  Israel.     12mo. 

The  House  of  God  Desirable.  A  Sermon  in  the  Presby- 
terian Preacher.     1835. 

The  People  of  God  led  in  Unknown  Ways.  A  Sermon 
preached  May  29,  1842,  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
Eichmond.     1842. 

An  Address  delivered  before  the  Alumni  Association  of 
Washington  College,  Va.,  on  Commencement  Day,  June  29, 
1843.     Lexington,  1843. 

Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Founder  and  Principal 
Alumni  of  the  Log  College  ;  together  with  an  Account  of 
the  Revivals  of  Religion  under  their  Ministry.  Princeton, 
1845.     12mo.  pp.  369. 


5G2  PUBLICATIONS. 

A  History  of  Colonization  on  the  Western  Coast  of  Af- 
rica.    Philadelphia,  1846.     8vo.  pp.  603. 

A  History  of  the  Israelitish  Nation,  from  their  origin  to 
their  dispersion  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Ko- 
mans.     Philadelphia,  1852.     8vo.  pp.  620. 

Outlines  of  Moral  Science.  New- York,  1852.  12mo. 
pp.  272. 

Introduction  to  Matthew  Henry's  Commentary. 

Introduction  to  Works  of  the  Rev.  William  Jay. 

Introduction  to  Dr.  Waterbury's  Advice  to  a  Young 
Christian. 

The  following  books  and  tracts,  as  well  as  some  of  those 
mentioned  above,  are  issued  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of 
Publication. 

Practical  Sermons ;  to  be  read  in  Families  and  Social 

Meetings.     8vo. 

Letters  to  the  Aged.     18 mo. 

Counsels  of  the  Aged  to  the  Young.     18 mo. 

TJniversalism  false  and  unscriptural.     18mo. 

A  Brief  Compend  of  Bible  Truth.     12mo. 

Divine  Guidance  ;  or  the  People  of  God  led  in  Unknown 
Ways.     32mo. 

Thoughts  on  Religious  Experience.     12mo. 

The  Life  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Baxter.  (An  abridgment.) 
18mo. 

The  Life  of  Andrew  Melville.  (An  abridgment.)    18mo. 

The  Life  of  John  Knox,  the  Scottish  Reformer.  (An 
abridgment.)     18mo. 

The  Way  of  Salvation,  familiarly  explained  in  a  Conver- 
sation between  a  Father  and  his  Children.     32mo. 


PUBLICATIONS.  563 

To  which  must  be  added  the  following  Tracts  : 

The  Duty  of  Catechetical  Instruction. 

A  Treatise  on  Justification  by  Faith. 

Christ's  Gracious  Invitation  to  the  Weary  and  Heavy- 
laden. 

Kuth  the  Moabitess. 

Love  to  an  Unseen  Saviour. 

Letters  to  the  Aged. 

A  Dialogue  between  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Friend 
(Quaker). 

The  Amiable  Youth  falling  short  of  Heaven. 

The  Importance  of  Salvation. 

Future  Punishment  Endless. 

Justification  by  Faith. 

Sinners  Welcome  to  Jesus  Christ. 

The  following  Tracts  have  been  published  by  the  Ameri- 
can Tract  Society : 

The  Day  of  Judgment. 
The  Misery  of  the  Lost. 


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